


Together in the snow

by Azrael (Soorin), Soorin



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bloodletting, Character Development, Character Turned Into Vampire, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Human/Vampire Relationship, I suppose, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pain Kink, Tags May Change, Vampire Bites, vampire!Mark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:48:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23921107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soorin/pseuds/Azrael, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soorin/pseuds/Soorin
Summary: "We were only given one heart, once it’s used and broken you can’t patch it up. That’s not how it works. Not for us.”Donghyuck's heart rate sped up, his own blood pulsing nervously against his warm skin. He felt Mark's hand slide on his lower back to bring him closer against his side. He felt his insides twist at the sight of the two beheaded corpses in the middle of the courtroom, the woman's blood profusely gushing out of her neck and drowning both of them in a pool of their broken fate."That's cruel."Or: Donghyuck tries to understand what happened to his childhood friend Renjun and gets dragged into an unfair and dangerous society ruled by vampires.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun & Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Lee Jeno, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 16
Kudos: 113
Collections: Keep it going





	1. I can still feel your touch

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for use of alcohol, implied use of drugs (not by the dream members), swear words? Be careful if any of these might trigger you or offend you.  
> Thanks a lot to [Simply_A_Cherry_Bomb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Simply_A_Cherry_Bomb/works) for beta reading this chapter! I sent her this at 3am and she did it as soon as she got it... she's so nice ;(( <3
> 
> Second warning, I'm not an english native speaker, so don't hesitate to tell me if something sounds wrong, it can only help me improve!

_’Sit down, be humble.’_

Coloured lights silhouetted over Donghyuck’s eyes, stealing young adults’ shine transforming them into uniformed dancing shadows. His senses were foggy and his world wasn’t stable, yet the overpowering smell of sweat stung his nose. He couldn’t properly distinguish faces. He grabbed his red cup on the counter but wasn’t able to feel it until a few seconds. He pressed his fingers on it, but they didn’t move.

Ah, yes, they did. They only had some delay, nothing he couldn’t handle.

The low quality plastic crushed under his fist and he saw bronze liquid run on his skin and drip down on the floor. It felt icy.

Donghyuck realised his drink probably wasn’t that cold, that’s when he understood his skin was burning.

He saw more than he heard someone snapping their fingers in front of his eyes, interrupting his trance.

Oh. He couldn’t hear a thing.

The guy’s mouth moved in slow motion, but no sound came out of it.

Weird.

Donghyuck turned his head to the left and swept the room with his eyes, saving in his memory a crazy panorama of people slow dancing, almost melting with one another.

Another snap. This one resounded.

’SIT DOWN, BE HUMBLE.’

It all came back full force.

Suddenly, it all went too fast. The lights, the music, the dancing, the touching.

It was too much.

Donghyuck felt damp air forcing its way to his lungs with more difficulty than it should face. Cold drips of sweat ran down his neck, desperately trying to cool down his skin.

Oh god, his head.

“Wha' did ya say?”

“I said, you should come with us, Chenle is hosting this spitting contest on the first floor. In Seulgi’s bedroom. Or in her brother’s. I don' really know. Doesn’t matter, come with me!”

“Soun’s r’lly fun.” Jaemin’s yelling echoed in his head over and over again, bouncing against every single millimetre of his skull like a tennis ball. “R’lly, r’lly fun...” Donghyuck blinked and covered his eyes with his left hand for a minute. What was he doing again? Oh yes. “R’lly fun an’ all, you kno’ I love you, you r’lly do be knowin’ that right?” No, not at all what he wanted to say. Something about getting out, taking some fresh air, yes, something like that.

“Hyuckie!” Jaemin’s face brightened up and Donghyuck could see all his teeth. All of them. “I love you too, Hyuckie, you’re a brother to me you know that right?” So white, like white pearls. “You were always here for me during hard times and man, I love you so much.” It’s funny, because they looked like they produced light. Which is dumb. Teeth couldn’t produce light, they were like the moon, not what they look like on the outside. “You mean so much to me, you’re the best.” If teeth are like the moon, could it be that, like the moon, light comes from somewhere else? So that would mean... the light comes from... Jaemin himself? It comes from his soul and goes out by his mouth! Yes! And that’s how it makes his teeth so white! Why didn’t he think of that sooner? That was so easy. Maybe he shouldn’t drink that much next time.

“Jaemin, man, you’re just... you’re shining, man. You’re so bright and your light makes me warm because it’s white and it’s almost like you came to cleanse and save me and even if you’re a twat sometimes it’s al’ight, because you’re white even when it’s dark and I think that’s so cool.”

“Donghyuck...” Jaemin looked at him with an indescribable expression in his eyes, and next thing he knew, he was against a very warm chest with arms firmly locking him in place, preventing him from falling down. “That’s the most beautiful thing someone has ever said to me.”

Donghyuck closed his eyes and a satisfied smile grew on his face. Lazily, he tapped his hands on Jaemin’s back, to comfort him and his sudden rush of emotions.

“If you keep cryin’ like tha’, man I ain’t telling you shit anymore.”

“Low blow, Lee Donghyuck.”

Temperature dropped a few degrees and that’s what told him he got freed of the unexpected hug. He grabbed the hem of Jaemin’s shirt, letting himself be led through the excited crowd of people he barely knew. He felt hot sticky bodies touching him, strangers grabbing his thighs, brush his arms or touch his back. That was good. He hated it, but it helped him forget the ghostly touch over his skin. Arms around his shoulders, excited taps on his thighs, angry pushes and comforting hugs. He needed to forget it all.

They were about to climb the stairs, away from the living room’s effervescence, when something stopped him. Donghyuck tried to go forward, but something was holding him back.

_What the...?_

Oh. A hand. Right.

“What are you doing?” When Jaemin tried to escape and climb the stairs, without letting Donghyuck go, Jeno added: “The two of you.” Which was more than enough to make Jaemin stop dead in his tracks.

“Actuallyyy, you see, Jeno dear, I was just showing-”

“No, you shut up. I don’t want to hear you.”

Donghyuck vaguely heard Jaemin mumble something that suspiciously sounded like “If that’s how it’s going to be” and “Bro’s thinking he’s my stepdude.”

“I jus’… ya kno’…, Jaemin talked about this. Anyway, Chenle is hosting a kitchen contest or dancing, I can’t remember, but it does sounds really fun, trust me, ya should join!” Donghyuck grabbed Jeno’s biceps and squished them hard. “Big big muscles ya’ know? Like, could be useful um, especially for like, cutting stuff and like preparing meat and everything.” Donghyuck’s gleefulness slowly escaped his body when he met Jeno’s eyes. His smile disappeared and his eyes locked on the floor. He knew that look, and he couldn’t handle it right now.

He played with his feet, solely looking at the ground while Jaemin was being scolded in the background. Something about “responsibilities” and “I can’t babysit you”, “you need to grow up”. The same old song.

But Jeno was never mad at Donghyuck. Nor angry. Never.

He was just disappointed.

Which somehow stung a lot more.

Jeno placed a steady arm on his shoulders and turned him around, towards the house’s backdoor. “Come on, Hyuck, let’s get you some fresh air.”

Donghyuck wriggled in his hold, just enough to be able to wave goodbye to a very sad looking Jaemin, who sat down on the steps. He got a half smile and a small wave back, but Donghyuck knew it was the end of the night for his friend.

Uneasiness bubbled in his chest and he pushed Jeno aside, but not enough to make him loosen his grip.

“Why do you always have to ruin everything and be such a downer.”

That was uncalled for, Donghyuck knew it and already felt guilty. But he was angry. He wanted... he wanted... he wasn’t really sure of what he wanted, but it certainly wasn’t an after party in Seulgi’s backyard with Lee Jeno of all people.

“Always here to kill the fun aren’t you, Jen.”

Fresh air hugged his face like a blessing and Donghyuck let out a sigh of relief while he felt like his lungs cleared out. Ok, maybe that’s what he wanted.

“I think you meant that I’m always here to save your ass.”

Donghyuck found some pleasure in letting himself be guided by his friend. He didn’t really feel pampered, but rather, taken care of.

It was nice.

“Save me from what? The big angry bad wolf?”

Jeno’s annoyed silence made it very clear that the discussion was over. Donghyuck rolled his eyes and hugged Jeno’s right arm, while his friend managed to get him to sit down on the grass of the backyard. They sat next to each other in silence, knees touching, Donghyuck still tightly hooked to Jeno’s arm, with his head lazily resting on his reliable shoulder. They had done this hundreds of times, maybe thousands, but each time felt special. Donghyuck would never get enough of it, and never wanted these moments to end. Jeno’s perfume was one of the best in the whole world -according to Donghyuck. It was an oxymoron, just like his owner. Aggressive and sweet at the same time, strong and fleeting.

Donghyuck wanted to stay like this forever.

“Stop talking about my ass, Jeno, you know it makes me uncomfortable.”

Jeno chuckled lightly and broke the peaceful silence. The night was quite bright, but the stars were still visible. The fresh air already dried Donghyuck’s skin which was closer to shivering than reddening.

He was so tired.

So tired.

“There’s no big bad wolf, Jen.”

Jeno enveloped his friend in his own jacket, too big on the shoulders for Donghyuck, and side hugged him tightly, putting his head on Donghyuck’s which was already resting on his shoulder. They felt safe, huddled like this. They knew it was only an illusion, but it was comforting to believe in wonders for a few minutes or hours of bliss and peace.

“Save me from what, Jeno?” whispered Donghyuck.

Donghyuck heard Jeno swallow heavily and shyly played with his bitten nails. He had an idea of what the answer might be, and he won’t like it, but he wanted to hear it from Jeno’s mouth. He needed it, he would insist again and again if that’s what he’ll have to do.

“I don’t know. From yourself, I guess.” Jeno took a deep breath. “It’s been hard. For everyone lately, but especially for you. Everything that has happened... It was so hard to take in, and I was afraid I was... I was afraid I was going to...” _lose you._

Donghyuck closed his eyes when he felt tears stinging them. He didn’t want to think about all of that, but sadly he could remember everything vividly, his brain making sure, every single night, that he wouldn’t forget it. _Lucky me._

“I _care_ about you, Donghyuck. I do.” _I love you._

With the unspoken words hanging in the air, Donghyuck found it even harder to not break down in a sob. If he didn’t feel like utter shit, he would have laughed at the irony of the situation, a parody of his conversation with Jaemin a few minutes earlier, yet they were nothing alike. Jeno’s fragile voice broke Donghyuck’s heart. He was being so selfish, and Jeno was always here to pick up the pieces. He knew he shouldn’t put so much on his friend’s shoulder, but everything was just _so hard._ They had each other’s back, and that’s what mattered. Donghyuck would go into the deepest pits of hell to help Jeno, it wasn’t an obligation or a debt he had to pay, that’s what he felt from the bottom of his heart and he meant it. But that’s why it was so scary, loving someone so much was scary, it means he could lose everything again, in a blink of an eye.

“You should stop drinking so much. It worries me, you’re hurting yourself. On purpose. Everyone might be blind or might willingly look away, but I can see what you’re doing, Hyuck. This has to stop. I’m... I’m scared. Sometimes you only need a little glass of water and some fresh air, sometimes I need to help you vomit, others I need to slap you to bring you back to me. I feel like you’re playing the Russian roulette, and I’m playing too, but not by choice. In what state am I going to find you next time? Stop doing this to yourself.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know that.” sighed Jeno.

Unwavering support.

“Jeno. That bush is shining.” Jeno lifted his head and shook it in disbelief, the cute smile Donghyuck craved so much slowly appearing before his eyes.

“It’s not the bush, you stupid. It’s fireflies.” Donghyuck watched his friend’s face in awe. He was still intoxicated, and it made him more emotional, but Jeno also had that effect on him. His friend kept watching the fireflies with interest, having no clue of Donghyuck’s gaze on him. Donghyuck felt like crying when he saw this sparkle he loved so much in his friend’s eyes. Every time he looked at it, he felt like he was one inch away from his friend’s pure soul.

“It’s not the bush, indeed.”

.

“Stay here for a minute, I’m going to grab something to eat and some fresh water to clear up your mind a little bit.”

“Oh no, really you don’t have to, I’m alright.”

“Be right back, it’ll just take a sec’.”

With a soft smile, Donghyuck watched his friend go back in the house. He tightened the vest around his shoulders and took a moment to look at the other people present in the backyard. Of course: the stoners. They all mostly smoked inside anyway, but there’s always one group of skyrocketing Nobel prizes who thinks it’s a brilliant idea -usually around the middle of the night- to go outside and trip while looking at the stars.

Donghyuck did it. Once or twice. Or maybe more than that, and although he could admit it was pretty nice, he always ended up with ants and gross insects crawling up inside his clothes and this wasn’t just a major inconvenience, this was enough to put a stop to all of this. Maybe Jeno talking him out of it had something to do with it as well. _Maybe._

The group looked like they were having fun, they really did.

Donghyuck felt a pang at his heart as he watched them. They all seemed to be good friends, careless and happy, as they should be. He remembered these summer nights, when all the six of them would run upon the hill, a subtle scent of grass emanating from the ground, leaving their heads fresh and light. They would eat together, listen to music together, play together, lay down and look at the ink coloured sky, talking all night long about stupid things and about their deepest secrets and insecurities. It felt like they had built something that couldn’t be broken up. They were a teenage cliché: them against the rest of the world. It was supposed to stay like that forever.

It hurt too much, and the temptation of joining them in their activity became too strong, he quickly looked away.

Some dude was throwing up in the sunflowers Seulgi planted. Ouch.

Many were just out for a few minutes, just enough to smoke their cigarettes and then would go back inside. Overall, the garden was almost deserted.

Two girls were dipping their feet in the tiny pond, just before the fence. Their backs were facing him and they were completely silent. It looked nice. He was less likely to join to drug party if he was surrounded by people.

Donghyuck stood up and joined them.

Why did he feel so tired all of a sudden?

“I’m not interrupting something, I hope?” A small bit of comfort embraced him when he recognised his two friends.

“Nah, come with us,” answered Yeri with one of her kind smiles.

While he took off his shoes, Donghyuck secretly wished he had the same ability to comfort and reassure people around him. He wished he would be gifted with some kind of amazing perception that could warn him when something is wrong, when someone feels bad. Maybe it could have prevented what happened.

The water was cold, but it felt nice. By washing his feet, he felt like he was cleaning his soul as well, and he really needed that. He moved his feet gently, drawing some abstract forms in the water, and leaned back on his arms, hands in the dirt, his eyes fixed on the stars.

“It’s been a while since we last spoke,” said Yeri quietly.

Donghyuck didn’t answer for a while, but the silence wasn’t tense, it was nice. He took a quick look at his friends’ faces and smiled a bit. He missed them. It was his fault they didn’t get to see each other for so long, he isolated himself because of how bad he felt and didn’t even take time to check on them. He felt embarrassed and slightly guilty at the thought.

“How is your music project doing?”

“Good! Actually, Wendy and I have been working on this mini album and it’s almost ready.”

“That’s so nice to hear. I’m glad for you guys.”

“Yes, I think we needed… we needed a way to cope and channelling our feelings into music felt like the best way to do it,” said Yeri.

Donghyuck started chewing on his lip. They were getting on a sliding slope.

“So many people are here tonight, that’s nice. It feels like people really needed something to forget what happened, or to heal, or maybe both. Many didn’t even know him, but it was a bit of a shock for everyone.”

“That’s true. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologise, you don’t have to apologise for anything, Hyuck,” said Wendy.

“Do I?” Donghyuck angrily looked at her in the eyes. His breathing instantly sped up and his fists were clenching nervously, grabbing the dirt and plucking the grass. He wasn’t angry at her, he was angry at himself, but being hostile was so much easier and safer than showing vulnerability. If he showed vulnerability now, he would never get back up. “Tell that to Renjun.”

As soon as the name passed his lips, Donghyuck felt like his breathing stopped. The nice atmosphere turned into a stone cold one, a heavy silence fell between them, uneasiness clearly visible on the girls’ faces. Tears filled his eyes and Donghyuck had absolutely no control over it, just like last time.

“Donghyuck, calm down, you’re hyperventilating.”

“Yes, well, this was really nice seeing you, see you in class girls.”

“Hyuck wait-”

He didn’t wait.

As a matter of fact, he got up and he jumped over the backyard’s fence. His bare feet opened and bled because of the tiny branches on his route as he walked faster and faster, deeper into the forest. He clenched his hand around his chest, an unspeakable pain taking him by surprise until he broke into a single but devastating sob.

He ran.

He ran until his lungs burnt, until his muscles screamed in protest.

It was painful. He wasn’t in shape at all, several months of depression did wonders on his body. Black spots danced in his visions, his head was about to explode, but he deserved it. He deserved it all.

That was the first time he said his name since it happened.

He collapsed on the ground and cowered, screaming as loud as he could manage, his voice ripping his own throat.

He calmed down his erratic breathing and took his head in his hands. Saying his name out loud felt like a dozen razor blades were cutting him from inside. It almost felt surreal, like a moment frozen in time. He never thought that a day would come where he would say that name again.

“This is fucked up...” he whimpered.

He needed to get back to Jeno. He needed his friends. His outburst made him feel light-headed but it helped to make him feel better. He looked at his dirty hands and bloody feet and got back up, feeling a bit dizzy again. Clearly the alcohol hadn't worn off yet and it didn’t mix well with a lack of oxygen.

“Ah fuck...” he railed at nothing when he saw the hole in his shirt and the few drops of blood staining it.

He took a quick look at the injury. It wasn’t serious, he probably just hit something a little hard while running or when he fell, but it ruined his shirt.

“What a great fucking night.”

He poked at his injury and clenched his teeth from pain. This definitely needed some treatment. Donghyuck closed his eyes and took some time to even out his breathing. With a wicked satisfaction, he hoped that his injury was caused by his bad karma. All the shit constantly happening to him, he preferred to think of it as a punishment for all his bad actions that led to this situation. This train of thought was the only way he could still live with himself.

He was about to head back to Seulgi’s house when he heard something move behind him.

Donghyuck wasn’t scared. He nearly grew up in these woods.

That’s why he knew there were animals in there. Small animals. Deadly insects. Big animals.

Ok maybe he was a little scared.

He paid more attention but the only thing he could distinguish was the soft sound of cicadas. With his feet still wet, he suddenly became aware of the cold again. He wrapped his arms around his own torso in hope of getting engulfed by Jeno’s jacket, while he walked faster and faster.

“I hate when this kind of shit happens, this is what you get from running in the woods. You’re so stupid I hope the mosquitoes are feasting that would teach you a lesson you dumbass-”

He stopped.

Not because he fell, not because he was eaten by an animal.

He stopped because a man was standing right in front of him, blocking the way.

“Where the fuck do you come from!” sighed Donghyuck in relief, “man I thought I was chased by some animal or something, scared the shit out of me.”

Donghyuck laughed a bit, the fear wearing off. The man was about his age, he was probably one of Seulgi’s friends, which meant he had almost arrived back at the house. He had black hair and fair skin. Really fair skin, he looked like he came straight out of an advertisement for injections, but maybe it was just an effect produced by the contrast with his dark hair. He had big eyes, double eyelids, a trumpet nose and impeccable eyebrows. He didn’t move at all and disturbingly looked like a wax statue, but Donghyuck had to admit, the man was handsome.

“Are you a friend of Seulgi’s?”

No response. Great.

He just kept staring at him without moving an inch and Donghyuck began to think that facing a bear was a slightly more attractive idea.

“You look like you’re about to shit yourself.”

No reaction.

The man had his jaw tightly clenched, Donghyuck could see all the strained muscles on his neck, and at this point the man looked so tense that Donghyuck wasn’t even sure he was breathing.

“Alright creep...” he mumbled as he moved aside and started walking again.

He walked as fast as he could without looking too suspicious, continued like that for a few seconds until he finally gathered enough courage to look behind him.

No one.

He relaxed, smiled a bit and got ready to walk again, but when he turned back his head to the front, the man was back in front of him.

He really did come out of nowhere.

Donghyuck knew he still had some alcohol in his blood, he also knew it wasn’t the best night of his life, and maybe he even breathed some Mary Jane back in the house, but this was real, he already saw it before. It was happening all over again, and there was absolutely no logical explanation to this.

His insides were in turmoil as a few drops of cold sweat ran down his neck. He knew he should run and never turn back but he was petrified.

He couldn’t only blame the murdering gaze he got from the man standing so close to his face, he was petrified because he was in front of the proof that one of his most dreadful fears may be true. That what he saw, six months ago wasn’t an hallucination.

That thought was terrifying.

Donghyuck knew what these things could do, so why wasn’t he dead yet?

The man’s eyes turned red and his pupil got darker.

Donghyuck stopped breathing.

He was afraid that if he moved a single muscle, it would be the end of him.

“You’re bleeding.” the man stated, looking down at Donghyuck’s belly.

Donghyuck felt like crying when he realised that the small wound from earlier was bleeding profusely and that half of his shirt was coloured in a deep crimson red.

He looked back at the man’s eyes which were still fixed on his belly.

“No shit Sherlock.”

_Shut up Donghyuck._

His trembling whisper wasn’t loud, but Donghyuck was absolutely sure the man heard it, he had the confirmation when he saw a dark flash pass in his eyes and when his right hand clenched in a ghostly fist.

Donghyuck’s body started trembling as well, and much to his terror, the black haired man got down on his knees, his face on the exact same level as his open wound. Donghyuck watched, absolutely terrified, while the man got closer, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and whatever he smelled was strong enough to give him small spasms. He opened his mouth and let out a small moan, when he was about to wet his lips with the liquid, Donghyuck broke into a strangled sob he couldn’t hold back anymore.

Maybe that’s what saved him.

The man quickly put a firm hand on his own mouth and stopped breathing, or at least Donghyuck couldn’t hear his breathing anymore. He stood up straight again and his eyes were even darker than before, but Donghyuck was still breathing and alive.

“How did this happen?”

“I must have cut myself with a piece of wood while I was running.”

“You should be more careful.”

“I know, I looked like a Greek god in that shirt, now it’s a rag.”

_Shut the fuck up Donghyuck._

The man made a move, as if he tried to go forward but somehow changed his plans at the last second. His hands were twitching, his jaw looked like it was about to break and he breathed out loudly. He opened his mouth a few times, but nothing came out.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

It wasn’t louder than a whisper, but Donghyuck still caught it, by some miracle. Thoughts were running wildly in his blurred mind, he couldn’t focus on a single one of them, panic overpowering his body in a way he never experienced before.

“Then don’t.”

A tear fell down Donghyuck’s cheek, and the next second, the man was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back?... :DD I'm so happy to see you all again, it's been a while and I'm really glad. Here is a new story! It's not the mafia AU I talked about (but this one is coming don't worry). I took a long time but it was a very much needed time and I'm back stronger than ever :D  
> I missed you all and I hope you and your families and friends are happy and healthy! It's a rough time but it's also the occasion to remind us to focus on the people we love and on ourselves as well, please take care!!
> 
> I also wanted to say that I'll probably delete Deadly Hold in a few days, maybe post an epilogue and then delete it. I think it was a great experience and it allowed me to meet a lot of you but I was in a dark period of my life when I wrote it and now I realise I probably shouldn't have done it, and it makes me feel really uncomfortable to see this story now, and it feels wrong and it feels like I should delete it, for several reasons, so... yeah... if you want to keep it, download it or somth (you don't have my permission to share it or repost though!).
> 
> As for this story, it will be way shorter than deadly hold. At first it was supposed to be a 2 shot but then I thought maybe it would be more pleasant to read it in several chapters, so it should be around 6 ~ 8 chapters.
> 
> Also, follow me on this twitter I just created: [@apolpote](https://twitter.com/apolpote) I'm going to start using it for my writting! You can DM me there and you can follow me, once enough readers will be there I'll start making polls for the plots of my stories, post some spoilers and glimpses of the next chapters, post parts of my WIPs or some threads where we can discuss, it should be fun 🥰
> 
> It's really nice to be back here, I hope you are all doing alright!


	2. Let's make a deal

“Oh my god.” Donghyuck choked on his words, barely louder than a whisper. Tears were still silently sliding down his face and cold air whipped his lungs. His breathing was erratic.

“Oh my god.” He whispered in disbelief once again. He put a hand on his chest and stumbled a bit before he found back his equilibrium. “Oh. My. God.” Fear and shock deprived him of any ability to think logically. He tried to run, but his trembling legs wouldn’t obey, he could barely walk. His fist clenched around his shirt and he could feel his pulsing heart, beating as fast as it could after thinking it would never be able to beat again. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.” He sobbed uncontrollably, tears blurring his vision. He didn’t know where he was heading, he could only hope after all of this, someone up there was still watching him and could help him to go to Seulgi’s house. His feet couldn’t even get off the ground properly, they were rattling the dead leaves that littered the damp soil of the forest. “Oh my god, oh my god, _oh my god, oh my god_.”

“Donghyuck!”

_Jeno?_

“Hyuck!”

 _Jeno._

“Hyuck where are you?” 

Donghyuck got desperate for air and stopped dead in his tracks. Maybe it was his survival instinct finally kicking in, or maybe his stress reached such a high level that his body acted on automatism to preserve himself from shutting down. Acting almost in a machine-like way was his defence mechanism. His sobs stopped even though his tears were still quietly running down his cheeks. He needed to _find Jeno._

“Donghyuck!”

Donghyuck diligently followed the voice. He walked steadily towards it, as it got louder and louder. He was _so close_.

“Where are-” when Jeno caught sight of Donghyuck, he looked at him from head to toe. “Hyuck.”

Donghyuck stopped. Moving felt useless now. Jeno was here, he was safe. Which really, was an irrational thought. Jeno couldn’t do a thing against these… what were they exactly? Certainly not people. Creatures? _This was ridiculous_. 

But somehow, feelings overstepped logic when he saw his childhood friend. His dark black hair he used to cut on boring sunday mornings right after a sleepover, his strong shoulders he could always lean on, his gentle arms so good at comforting him. Memories were storming in his head. Jeno was the indefectible constant in his life, and it was enough to make him feel safe. He could see in Jeno’s eyes that he was quite alarmed yet he tried to hide it, probably scared it might scare off Donghyuck, as if he was a scared wild animal. He held his ground, still waiting for Jeno to come closer. Donghyuck felt drained of all of his vital energy, his muscles were slightly trembling out of exhaustion. It was easier that way, he was so tired, so, so tired. 

Jeno slowly walked towards him and cupped his face softly. He looked over his wrecked body and his hands hovered above his wounded stomach before going back to his face, his thumbs casting away the remaining tears which wouldn’t stop running down. 

“What happened?”

_What happened._

Donghyuck himself wasn’t really sure. It went so fast and yet so slow at the same time. How could a moment feel frozen in time and so fast it’s impossible to catch up? He _saw_ that thing. That was a certitude. He saw it as clear as he could see Jeno’s concerned eyes. Could he talk about it? Would Jeno believe him? 

Donghyuck felt like the sky was laughing at him. He was living again the exact same traumatic situation, he went through this already, he knew how it would end. Again. 

No one would believe him.

Not even Jeno. Donghyuck can’t really blame them, he probably wouldn’t have believed it either. 

Maybe this time they would listen? It happened six months ago, maybe they changed their view on it, maybe they would assume that there was no stressing factor in the forest, hence, why would his brain play tricks? 

Why would they believe it? It was stupid to hope for it. He was drunk and tired, and _sad_. Maybe thinking of Renjun triggered his ptsd and his brain found a way to protect itself, just like last time. Maybe he was alone in the woods, maybe this creature doesn’t exist and is just the mere transposition of his fears. 

Maybe he really was crazy.

“I thought I was going to die, Jeno.”

He truly did. In the end, it doesn’t matter if what he’s seeing is real or not. The dread he feels, this heavy weight immobilizing him is real. If fear doesn’t kill him, his guilt will, and in the end he’s going to be his own downfall. 

Jeno hugged him, his hand burying in his hair, drawing small patterns he knew would soothe him.

“What happened?”

Maybe he was crazy, but it doesn’t mean he had to lie to Jeno.

“I saw it. I saw it again, Jeno. It was the same thing. The exact same thing I saw when Renjun…”

Donghyuck didn’t have to look up to see that Jeno’s face crumbled, and frankly, he didn’t want to. He knew his eyes would scream that paternalising and _annoying_ disappointment, probably pity as well, and an ocean of sadness. He felt his arms tense around his back and Donghyuck closed his eyes and sighed against his friend’s chest. 

“Donghyuck, we talked about this.”

“I know,” snapped Donghyuck. 

He knew it was pointless, but it wasn’t just for him. He had to unveil the truth. For Renjun. If what he saw was true, then it changes so many things. It means Renjun was _murdered_. He couldn’t bring himself to just stay silent when his best friend’s murderer was still out there, enjoying his freedom.

“I’m just telling you what I saw.” Donghyuck broke the hug with a scowl on his face.

“Donghyuck, it’s late, you’re tired and you’re drunk. Tomorrow you’re going back in class, you’re probably stressed, and your mind had to find a way to manifest this stress and… There are a lot of people here you haven’t seen in a long time who remind you of Renjun. You’re probably just…”

“I’m what? What am I exactly Jeno? Crazy? That’s what you want to say right? I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. Perfect Jeno. What is he going to do with his crazy little friend? How is he going to deal with that burden? Oh, don’t worry, he’ll find a way, it’s Jeno after all, he always FINDS A WAY!” 

Donghyuck already felt guilt eating his stomach, but he couldn’t stop spitting out his poisonous words, each more unfair than the others, the frustration he built up during his isolation finally overflowing and creating a disastrous mess. Of all people, it had to be Jeno. Donghyuck felt like crying and it only made him angrier, he felt aggressed. Aggressed because no one believed him, because they didn’t even try to.

“Stop that. We need to get back to the house to heal this nasty wound that you stupidly inflicted upon yourself.”

“I didn’t!” Donghyuck screamed, his face red and his neck trained. _Not Jeno, please._ “I’m so sick of you all saying I imagined it, I didn’t! It was right here, it almost touched me! Its eyes were red and he barely looked alive, just like last time. It wasn’t you who found Renjun bathing in his own blood, it was me, Jeno! I saw that thing standing over him with his blood on its hands and on its mouth! It’s not, it’s not…” Donghyuck grabbed and pulled his hair when his voice broke, “It’s not a defence mechanism. I saw it, and I’m so tired of everyone treating me like a child!”

“Then stop behaving like one!” 

Donghyuck stopped, his breathing going back to a normal pace, shock freezing his body. Jeno was angry, angry at him. 

“You need to stop being so selfish. Everyone is suffering and with all your stories it only makes them suffer more! Not only they had to grieve Renjun, but they worried about you, we thought we were going to lose you as well. It’s time to stop and accept the truth. Renjun killed himself, Donghyuck!”

They looked at each other in silence. Words they had never wanted to hear and pronounce were still hanging in the air between them, building a stone-cold wall separating them even further.

“Renjun killed himself.”

At this moment, Jeno looked so vulnerable that Donghyuck was speechless. He had never seen him like this, not even at Renjun’s funeral. It was foreign and looked so wrong on him. That’s when he realised how much his friend was right. He hadn’t realised that during these six months, the way he isolated himself from the world impacted his friends this much. He needed to take time for himself, and truthfully, he didn’t have any choice, he wished he could have handled the situation differently, but it was impossible for him to get up, go to class and talk to his friends like nothing happened. It was selfish, but it was too hard. He was so caught up in his distress that he forgot to take care of his friends. He thought about them all the time, of course, but he hadn’t called, he didn’t send any text. He knew how much he cared about them, but they had no way of knowing that because he didn’t show it to them.

Jeno’s hurt was readable on his face and Donghyuck didn’t have the heart to contradict him, not after everything he already said. Harm was done and there was no going back, and no matter how much Jeno was right Donghyuck still couldn’t believe it. It was impossible. It didn’t make any sense. 

He messed up so badly.

“Alright. Party is over. I’m taking you back to the dorms and I’m calling your therapist.” Jeno grabbed Donghyuck’s arm roughly and dragged him outside of the woods, “You’re meeting with him tomorrow or you can’t go back to class.”

Donghyuck didn’t say a word.

.

Donghyuck was lying down on his bed throwing and catching his tiny red ball endlessly. It helped him to relax. The dorm room was too quiet without Renjun, even with the music on. Donghyuck looked at Renjun’s bed to his right. 

Yep, still empty.

It’s been one week he started going to class again and one week since he last spoke to Jeno. It went better than he thought it would. Overall, people already had too many problems in their lives to pay attention to him and his teachers barely acknowledged his presence, one additional student in the amphitheatre wasn’t significant enough to notice, not that it mattered to them anyway. He was doing good. He struggled a bit with his assignments and all the classes he missed, but still managed to keep his head above the water. 

Studying was alright, what he couldn’t bear to see was how everything seemed to be just as before. As if nothing ever happened.

It was sickening. 

Surprisingly enough, he didn’t miss Jeno. 

To be fair, he missed Jeno, but he didn’t miss speaking to him, not yet anyway. He didn’t want to speak to him, he was still tormented by anger and frustration, probably shame as well. His pride prevented him from knocking at his friend’s door and apologise. He was afraid that doing so would be admitting that he was wrong.

And he _wasn’t._

Jeno wasn’t either.

He sighed and rolled over on his tummy, his face buried in the sheets. His ball fell and bounced on the floor, following the rhythm of the music.

It was cruel to force him to stay in this room. He could still see Renjun’s blood flow out of his ripped throat and run on the white floor, right where he had to walk and sleep every day and every night. 

He could still see his lifeless eyes staring right back at him and the creature and his bloodshed eyes escaping by the window. 

They tried to ask the administration to move him to another room, yet, after six months, he was still waiting. His friends proposed to exchange rooms with him, but he refused. He hated the idea of getting released of this burden only to put it on someone else’s shoulders. 

After all, it was a good thing that he was trapped in here. It was a good thing that he remembered.

He _had_ to remember. He couldn’t forget.

Each day passing was a day he lost as his memory of the creature faded away.

Oh, how he wished Renjun’s bloody image could vanish from his mind as well.

He should probably go out and talk to his friends, he could feel he was slipping back into isolation, but he didn’t feel like doing it. He was talking a bit with Chenle and Jisung during class and for now this was enough. He wished he could make sure Jaemin was alright, but Jeno was always with him.

Why was he even avoiding Jeno in the first place, this was all so stupid. He felt wronged, but there was no way the situation could change, he might as well just get up and apologise to Jeno.

Or, he could go back into that forest to try to find that creature he saw at Seulgi’s party.

Donghyuck moaned in annoyance and smashed his pillow onto his own head. 

_No, no, no._

This was way too dangerous, he couldn’t go alone.

After a few breaths, he stood up, took his shoulder bag with him and left the room.

He couldn’t go alone, but no one would come with him.

.

Donghyuck cautiously stepped into the forest under the sun’s dim light. It was a stupid decision to come back here, he wasn’t prepared and he had no idea of what he was going to face, but he wasn’t scared. He needed to find the truth and he was going to. 

“If I’m making it out of here alive, Jeno is going to scold my ear off,” he mumbled. 

Donghyuck dropped his bag and took his pocket knife. He couldn’t help thinking about Jeno and his friends again. If they saw him doing this, they would think it was his self-destructive tendencies showing up, that it was a self-harm intent to inflict a punishment to himself, a punishment he felt like he deserved. He truly hoped it wasn’t true.

He breathed out deeply before he sliced his left palm, sharp pain making him wince. 

Hot thick blood rolled down on his arm and fell on the dead leaves carpeting the forest’s soil. He dropped the knife and grabbed his left wrist while he clenched his teeth. The pain was much stronger than he imagined and he could feel his hand burning. He wished he could focus on something else, but no matter how hard he tried his eyes always came back to look at the deep wound colouring the white of his hand. It _hurt_.

“Are you stupid or insane?”

Donghyuck froze and stopped breathing. The voice came from behind him.

_It worked._

He turned around to face the creature. He could take a better look at it than last time, and he realised that it looked fairly young, it had soft traits but hard eyes and it almost looked human. _It wasn’t._

“Probably both.”

It bent and picked up the knife, scrutinising it from every angle.

“What are you?”

“I think you know that. The real question is why are you throwing yourself into the lion’s den.”

“If you wanted to kill me you would have done so the other night. I have a deal for you.”

The creature damped two of its fingers with the knife’s blood and licked them slowly, its eyes slowly turning red. Donghyuck swallowed heavily.

“I’m listening,” it smiled.

“Did you kill my friend?” Donghyuck asked weakly.

“This doesn’t sound like a deal.”

“Did you?” 

It came closer and Donghyuck saw the amusement on its face leave place to what seemed to be annoyance while its eyes got darker.

“No, I did not,” it clicked his tongue and dropped the knife, “What do you want?”

“I want you to help me find out who killed my friend, I know it’s one of your kind. I’d do it myself, but I’m afraid this won’t be possible.”

“Very wise thought,” Donghyuck relaxed when he saw the creature’s smile reappearing, “what do I gain from it?”

“My blood.”

The creature lifted an eyebrow, its smile becoming cocky and Donghyuck cursed at himself for such a poor choice of words.

“Not _all_ of it, but you seem to have pronounced interest in… drinking it.” The creature stayed silent and Donghyuck could almost see its thoughts running in his head by how dark his eyes looked.

“I must admit the thought crossed my mind.”

“I could provide you with all the quantity needed. You won’t have to steal or chase anything or anyone as I would always be there and would give you my consent to drink freely, as long as it doesn’t kill me.”

“Interesting.”

It looked Donghyuck for a time which felt unfinishable, its eyes slowly lifting from his feet to his head, until they landed on his bloody hand. It bit his lip and picked up Donghyuck’s bag, rummaging through it until it found his phone. It tapped something quickly, increasing Donghyuck’s confusion, and it gave the device back to him, waiting for Donghyuck to grab it so he could speak.

“That’s my name and my number.”

“Does that mean we have a deal?”

“We have a deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/apolpote?s=09)


	3. White Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, [Simply_A_Cherry_Bomb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Simply_A_Cherry_Bomb/works) beta read this chapter, I'm very grateful to her, she's been very kind

Donghyuck stared at the simple text displayed on his phone. _'Tell me where the unfortunate event took place. I will meet you there.'_

He shook his head in disbelief once again, barely believing that one of his acquaintances was... what? A vampire? And that said vampire was casually sending him texts. He felt mortified at the silliness of his thoughts, the word 'vampire' swirling in his mind, sounding more and more ridiculous each time.

So these creatures had cellphones. That was disturbingly… mundane.

"So this is the place?" Donghyuck snapped back into reality when he heard the creature- _Mark's_ voice. The phone, he could get used to it, but the name still felt foreign and rolled weirdly on his tongue, leaving a bitter taste in his mind.

"Yes, it is."

“And you live here?”

“Yes, I do,” Donghyuck emphasized his words by giving the creature his most blasé stare. His fingers fumbling with the sheets he sat on were the only sign of his nervousness, his face showing no emotion whatsoever apart from annoyance - a self-protection trick he learnt from Renjun.

“I thought he was your friend?” The creature turned away from the shelf he was rummaging to cock an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Yes, he _was_.” 

The creature’s face let slip a scowl barely visible who disappeared as quickly as it came and went back to his search for clues, ransacking Renjun’s side of the room. Renjun’s bed was a mess, his pillow was on the floor just next to his nightstand’s lamp. The few private belongings Renjun’s parents didn’t come to collect after his death were moved from their original spots, making Donghyuck clench his teeth each time the creature’s hands gripped a little too strongly on something.

“Would you mind being a little more careful?” said Donghyuck, his words dripping with irritation. The creature looked like it hadn’t heard him, which seemed highly improbable considering he had some physical abilities far beyond the ordinary and Donghyuck could bet that included enhanced hearing. “You sure aren’t very graceful for a vampire.” Said vampire turned around and faked a smile right at Donghyuck, its eyes glistening with what Donghyuck began to identify as amusement. He was making _fun_ of him.

“Being direct is one of my most attractive qualities,” said Mark in a honeyed voice.

“I can definitely see that.” 

Mark rolled his eyes and went across the room to open the window. He bent, half of his body hanging in the air while he looked diligently for a way to get in or out of the students’ small room. The murder took place when the sun was down during the curfew. Donghyuck was in Jeno’s room, but there was no way anyone foreign to the university could have passed the prefects without being noticed. Donghyuck saw the culprit get out of the room by the window when he heard people coming. The real question was why did he decide to trespass into a college’s dorm, climb up a tree in the middle of the night to kill a twenty years old boy? 

There was only one answer to that question and Mark felt a pang of sadness hit him while he looked at the blood stains that were only visible to him.

“Come here,” Mark went back next to Renjun’s bed and waved at Donghyuck to come closer to him, “I know what happened.” 

This was enough to get Donghyuck out of his bed. He stood in front of the creature who spun him and put two hands on his shoulders, forcing him to face the bed.

“Now, picture this.”

“I’m not really sure I want to picture anything right now.” Donghyuck's sarcasm abruptly cut when the vampire pushed strongly on his back, cutting his breath, the air being knocked out of his lungs. Donghyuck fell on Renjun's mattress and let out an undignified scream.

"What was that for, you freak?"

"The murderer managed to sneak in behind your friend like this and push him on the bed. Knowing the window is across the room, your friend must have seen him, that means he knew the assaulter, or they managed to come first and hide in the bathroom and waited for your friend to show up, but that seems unlikely knowing you spent the entire day in the room, right?" 

Donghyuck nodded carefully and followed Mark with his gaze, trying to pierce through his thick shell. The creature got closer to him until it trapped Donghyuck's legs between its own. Still standing up, it bent down and put its hands on each side of Donghyuck's face. He could see Mark's arm muscles tense the lower it got, and he tried to fight off the bubble of uneasiness that started blooming in the lowest pits of his stomach. Their faces were at a reasonable distance, but it still felt too much for Donghyuck, for a reason he couldn't quite explain and even less understand. Mark must have seen a flash of concern in Donghyuck's eyes because he smoothly pursued the reconstitution.

"Your friend tried to escape," Mark stood up correctly and gestured for him to do so while he stood up, "but the murderer grabbed him by an arm and then…" Mark let go of Donghyuck's arm and searched something he seemed to have found in Donghyuck's eyes, "then he got hit twice in the head. Violent blasts, with a strong force. Maybe the assaulter had a weapon or maybe they just got transformed." Donghyuck tried to survive through this information overload, but furrowed his brows because of the tension his unanswered questions provoked.

"Wait a minute. How do you know all of this?" 

“The blood spatters,” Donghyuck looked around in confusion, to be sure his mind wasn’t playing him any tricks. Everything was perfectly clean, it happened _six months_ ago, how could there possibly still be blood? “You can’t see it but I can. Consider me as an attractive luminol.” Donghyuck scoffed and sat back on the bed.

“Why would strength mean the thing would be a newly transformed creature?” 

“Newborns are dangerous. They are emotionally unstable and have a hard time controlling themselves. It’s actually nearly impossible. Most of their feelings are strongly influenced by the conditions of their transformation. Thirst is unbearable for them and their senses are increased tenfold making it harder to concentrate and resist the impulses. It would be like drugging you and locking you up in a tiny room without windows for days, sleep deprive you while blasting loud music, bright flashes of light, with strong smells of your favourite meal but with no way to do anything to fulfil the gnawing desire to eat it. It’s quite stressful. In addition to a frantic mind, they are very powerful. Their strength is clearly superior, but they can’t think properly nor control themselves as we can. Many end up dying. They survive the transformation, but they can’t bear the aftermath.” 

“What do you mean by that? I thought you were immortal.” Mark looked at him, sighed deeply and sat next to Donghyuck. Donghyuck watched him join its hands and rest its arms on his knees, he couldn’t help but think its posture was strangely human. 

“They often end up committing suicide.”

_Oh_ _._

Suddenly Donghyuck understood why the creature was so reticent to explain about this part of its universe. It may look like Renjun got transformed and finally did what everyone told Donghyuck that he had done, but for reasons they couldn’t even imagine. 

_No._ That was utterly stupid, Donghyuck saw another creature and Mark just confirmed there has been a struggle according to the blood spatters - flashbacks of Renjun’s blood contrasting with the white floor were almost unbearable.

What Mark implied, was that Renjun’s assaulter was a newborn vampire. 

Which quite frankly didn’t make sense either. Mark told him a lot about the way his peers lived. From what he understood, they had built some sort of society ruled by a set of strict rules. They all lived amongst humans, they were your neighbour, your cousin, your friend -which in itself, was already a pill hard to swallow. It also got Donghyuck to snort at Mark _‘Why were you lurking in the woods like a creep then?’_

Their existence was a secret and should be kept as one by all means. That’s why newborns were monitored and closely watched, they weren’t able to control themselves and would leave behind a suspicious amount of bodies. They weren’t allowed to leave the citadel which was controlled by elected vampires, often from the oldest families. 

The citadel was on the top of the highest snowy mountain in the world and was highly secured. If it was a newborn that attacked Renjun, what was it doing in a poor Seoul’s suburb in a low-rank university? It didn’t make _any sense._ Mark assured him it couldn’t have escaped from the citadel if so, it meant the newborn was someone who had just been transformed and hadn’t been located yet by the citadel, meaning the vampire that transformed it ran away or died before he had the chance to signal it. It was a wild beast thrown into nature without any guidelines nor mentor.

It also meant that it would kill again. 

“You said you are supposed to keep your existence a secret, right? No human must know you exist.” Mark laid down on Renjun’s bed, looked up at the white ceiling obviously lost in his thoughts and unfazed by Donghyuck’s heavy look of disapproval for putting its dirty shoes on the white sheets. _Rude_.

“Ding ding ding, correct answer, you won the grand prize,” Mark jeered. 

Donghyuck thought the vampire looked tensed, as tense as a freaking _vampire_ could look. No matter how delirious it was, they more or less got to know each other. They would often mostly talk about Renjun and their investigation, or the vampire’s society, but it was enough to maintain a cordial relationship. Donghyuck wouldn’t go as far as calling Mark his friend, and he probably never would, but its company wasn’t as unpleasant as he first would have thought, and that was highly disturbing because he couldn’t help but think Mark saw him as a walking roast. Still, it has been a week, and Mark never drank his blood. He didn’t even ask for it which was even more confusing. This was what the whole deal was about for Mark, and yet it almost looked _reluctant._ Donghyuck was sure it wanted it, he could see it in its eyes and in the way, they would get darker, sometimes he could even catch a glimpse of red, yet, Mark didn’t even bring the subject on the table to the point it was almost irritating. Did it expect to have more blood if it managed to restrain itself? Did he even feed during this week or is he desperately waiting for Donghyuck to take things in hand? Maybe that’s what he wanted, Donghyuck’s consent? 

Donghyuck looked at the extremely pale creature on the bed, who almost looked in agony with his dry eyes and his jaw clenching, not to mention his chest lifting way too rapidly. Technically, it didn’t need to breathe, but Mark explained to him that he does it sometimes, out of habit or when he felt uncomfortable, it helped him clear up his mind. _‘See it as a vent system_ _.’_ For an old spirit, he sure sounded quite dumb on numerous occasions, but it was surprisingly endearing. It gave him a touching candour he certainly didn’t expect from a blood-thirsty monster. Spending time with it- him, or whatever it was, brought him the comfort he needed. Someone actually _believed_ him, and it felt even greater than what he had imagined. Mark was nice. He was nowhere near Jeno’s unreachable kindness, but he was nice. It was pleasant spending time with him and his chilling sarcasm. To be perfectly fair, Donghyuck was also intimidated by him. Most of the time it was obvious that Mark was years older than he was, which was unsettling. He tried not to dwell on it, but some annoying feeling tickled at the back of his head and would tell him that he’ll always be _inferior_ to Mark.

“Doesn’t that mean you’re supposed to kill me then?” That was enough to stop Mark’s breathing. Donghyuck shifted awkwardly on the bed, crossing his legs in what he hoped was a casual posture, but Mark’s face told him he bought none of it. Seeing this human-like creature moving and smiling at him, _talking_ to him while it wasn’t breathing always woke the deepest animal instincts within him, his guts telling him to run away from danger even if his mind rationally told him Mark wouldn’t chase him like a rabbit.

“You see, Donghyuck,” Mark straightened on his elbow, and smiled wickedly at Donghyuck. Some tension eased of his face, but he still wasn’t breathing. “I’m an idealist.”

Incomprehension must have shown on Donghyuck's face, because Mark laughed and laid on his back again. His laugh was very quiet and Donghyuck felt some uneasiness, an unexplainable nostalgia filled his heart when he stared at that creature. His eyes looked haunted, and his face was a paradox: his skin looked young yet in the way his muscles would twitch when he was thinking, one could clearly see his soul was marked with several years of life, much more than what his skin let through.

"I don't want to kill you, so I won't do it. It's as simple as that, and that's how things should be. Sadly, they are not. We are supposed to kill all the humans who learn about us, but what's the point of doing that? Hiding. Like cowards. I don't want that.

"I like to believe in a world, where my kind would be able to live out in the open, without lurking in the shadows, scared and forced to lie every single day of our lives. I've had enough of that. It's not out of mercy for humans, it's more out of disappointment towards our rulers. Most of them have been here for centuries. They are supposed to do what is in our best interest, but the institutions grew old and are only serving them and the corrupted. All these new young generations of vampires have to grow up in this world where they have to bend the spine to creatures who are inferior to us. No offence, Donghyuck."

"None taken," he snarked.

"The point is, we aren't supposed to be hiding. We could live in harmony with humans, build a society made of common understandings and insure rules that would assure the safety of everyone. I am supposed to kill you, yes, but by doing so I would just give credit to the very core of what I'm trying to fight."

It made sense, it really did. It had good arguments and fair points, but Donghyuck recoiled slightly. Somehow the thought of such a society seemed very unlikely and... weird. Donghyuck wasn't ready to imagine such a thing, and much less experience it. He could understand why such a thing would be a problem and why the vampires decided to hide. He wasn't exactly sure if he was vampire racist or if Mark's speech sounded too much like a radical one and confusion bubbled in his chest. This was all so much more complicated than what he had imagined. He realized Mark looked at him and caught his gaze. His eyes looked sad as if he was able to hear everything that went through Donghyuck's mind and Donghyuck suddenly felt ashamed. His cheeks heat up and his heart pumped faster, he was mortified, he felt like a child being caught in the middle of a farce.

He got up brusquely and stood up to close the window, mostly to hide his face and because staying under Mark's stare felt way too accusing for him to handle.

"I really am an idealist, right?" Mark let out a sad chuckle.

Fuck Mark. He wasn't thinking anything wrong. It was normal to be disgusted by creatures who nourished out of blood and who could kill so easily.

 _Just like humans_.

"Hyuck, you in there? We need to talk."

_Jeno._

Mark calmly looked at him with one amused eyebrow raised and when Donghyuck saw his taunting smile he swore he could kill him right there in his bedroom. He probably looked like a deer caught in the headlights when he heard the knock on his door, but he couldn't care less at the moment. He rushed to Mark's side and grabbed him by the arm to drag him to his closet. Donghyuck threw him there while Mark seemed to be having the funniest time of his life.

"What are you so scared of honey? Aren't supposed to bring boys home?"

"Shut the fuck up, twat." Donghyuck pushed him and his _stupid_ grin between some hangers.

"You stay in there, and you keep quiet, got it?"

"Clear as water."

Donghyuck closed the door a bit too violently for it to be casual and mumbled while he went to the open Jeno. The world was leaguing up against him.

Jeno looked nice. Like he always does. His black hair was combed neatly, his button up shirt was impeccable and his black jeans were a perfect fit. He looked like he wanted to say something, but waited for Donghyuck's approval, which was great, at least he didn't look hostile. 

"What do you want?"

But maybe Donghyuck was. He hated that Jeno had to show up at the worst moment. He knew, even before he opened the door, that it would only make the situation worse. Donghyuck had a _vampire_ hiding in his closet as if he were his seventeen years old boyfriend who was scared to get caught by his dad and all this situation was just _ridiculous_. Deep down, he knew it was an excuse because he actually didn't want to speak to Jeno. It made him sad, but the sadder he would get, the hardest he would try to avoid confrontation. He knew it wouldn't get anything sorted out, but he needed time. The existence of Mark only confirmed that he wasn't crazy, and it was harder to forgive Jeno when he had the living proof in his closet that his distrust was uncalled for.

"I wanted to talk with you. Talk about what happened."

"Are you here to apologize?"

"No. Yes. Maybe, I don't really know. I think we both messed up, and I thought we could just talk it out and get over it, together." Donghyuck felt tears burning the corner of his eyes, and he gripped the door in frustration. Why was Jeno always _right?_ It was infuriating to see him handle the situation with such maturity when Donghyuck was stuck sulking like a little child because of his wild emotions.

"Look, now is not a good time, Jeno." This wasn't good, not at all. Jeno needed to leave.

"I don't want this to mess up our friendship."

"Believe it or not, me neither, Jeno! It's just that I need..." _need what?_ Time? Space? Understanding? All the above? It was unfair. Donghyuck felt agitation take control and a pained whimper escaped his lips. He couldn't be logical, not yet. It felt like Jeno betrayed him, betrayed his trust, and he couldn't just _get over it_ so easily, and maybe he made a fuss out of nothing, but his guts told him to close the door on his best friend and go back with the vampire in his closet, which said a lot about the current state of his relationship with Jeno. "I need time to calm down and see things more clearly. I'm afraid I'll be unfair to you if we talk now."

"Please Donghyuck, I miss you."

_I don't._ _Not as much as I should._

Donghyuck closed the door.

Jeno would be alright. He had Jaemin and Chenle and Jisung, they were all looking over him.

Donghyuck wasn't alright.

He tried to relax his muscles that were so tense it almost became painful. He collapsed on his bed with his head between his hands and matched the rhythm of his breathing with the stable ticking of the clock.

"Why don't you give him a chance?"

"Does it matter if I explain it to you?"

"It does. I want to know why you feel so bad. He didn't sound aggressive, so I guess I just wonder why this is so hard for you, you look pretty messed up right now."

"Tell me about it," scoffed Donghyuck.

The mattress dipped at his side when Mark sat beside him. Their knees touched and Donghyuck was surprised to not have to repress the usual movement of recoil that would have appeared to such a touch with the creature. Mark's presence was recomforting, the way his voice pleasantly echoed in Donghyuck's ears managed to calm him down and Donghyuck could only appreciate how gentle he was when he felt Donghyuck was on edge, it made him feel taken care of. Doubt would always interfere in his mind and remind him that it could be a bewitchment, that Mark could use his powers to calm him down, but that didn't even bother him anymore. If Mark did that, it meant he used his powers for Donghyuck's well-being and it made his stomach twirl in happiness. It was a nice and sweet intention.

"I feel like a child. I know I can be immature sometimes, my emotions often get too strong and I can't control them because I never learnt to. What makes it so difficult is that I'm aware of that and I'm trying my best but I'm struggling to improve, it's frustrating. Everyone is expecting so much from me, and I don't want to let them down. My friends are great, they really are, and Jeno? He's an angel, but he's... he's the exact opposite of me? He's always been so mature and so strong, sometimes it's hard to see how he manages to do it when I can't. These emotions... sometimes it's just..."

"Overwhelming." Donghyuck's face softened and he looked at Mark. His eyes were soft and understanding and Donghyuck felt overwhelmed by a surge of gratefulness while Mark's presence brought him peace. Donghyuck smiled gently. It was a small smile, but it was there, and it was sincere. A weight lifted off his shoulders after this talk, it wasn't much but Mark really listened to him and it was enough to warm his heart.

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"Usually, people don't bother asking what I feel, nor question my actions. They just condemn them and dictate how I should act instead, they never try to understand. You did, and I appreciate that."

Donghyuck looked at Mark's wrists that looked thinner than one week ago, his hollow cheeks and his dark circles. Guilt crept up all along his body. It was a certainty Mark not only refused to drink his blood, but also obviously didn't drink any other blood at all since they made the deal.

Donghyuck held up his right wrist in front of the creature, his eyes fleeing.

"There." Mark looked at him, slightly taken aback. "It's been a week," explained Donghyuck, "this part of the deal is still to honour." Donghyuck swallowed loudly and immediately cursed himself for it. He tried to hide his discomfort as much as he could, but he knew his erratic heartbeat was betraying him. Mark eyed him suspiciously, and he knew he was going to refuse before he even opened his mouth. "Please, Mark. A deal is a deal."

"I don't want to."

"Stop this, I saw how you looked at me," This destabilized Mark and Donghyuck realized how tendentious it sounded, but didn't care. He shook his wrist under Mark's nose with a face which he hoped conveyed the _'go for it'_ message. The idea of having his blood sucked out of his body didn't enchant him no matter how much he warmed up to Mark. He still felt uneasy and uncomfortable, but he figured it was better than feeling liable. Mark gently wrapped his fingers around Donghyuck's wrist and lowered it to his thighs.

"I'm scared to do it." Donghyuck definitely wasn't expecting that.

" _What?_ Why would you be scared of hurting me?"

"I'm not scared of hurting you," snapped Mark. Donghyuck could see his teeth growing and his eyes getting darker. He also heard the unsaid _'I couldn't care less about hurting you'. Ouch._

"Then what is it?" Donghyuck's cold voice asked. It shouldn't hurt so much, but it does. That's what always happened when he deluded himself into reading too deep into things, above all, Mark stayed a creature, he shouldn't forget that.

"I'm scared I won't be able to drink animal blood again. I'm scared I'll end up addicted." Donghyuck could feel how vulnerable Mark was and it seemed like a declaration of trust from such a powerful creature. "Being around you is like a sweet torture. Your smell is intoxicating and I keep coming for more without being able to satisfy my surges. It hurts so much, because I want to rip your throat apart and drink your blood to the last drop and at the same time I hate myself for it, because I'm objectifying you. The more I get to know you, the harder it is. You remind me of what it was like to be human and I feel compassion and I hate it, it makes me feel like a monster for wanting to..." _devour me._ The more Mark let his bare heart out in the open and delivered his internal conflicts, the more Donghyuck saw him as a person more than a monster. Hell, he even started to feel _sorry_ for it. It had to stop.

"Just do it," he used his harshest voice in hope his cold act would convince Mark to get rid of any remorse flourishing in his mind.

With a last questioning look, Mark finally wrapped his fingers around his wrist once again. He was gentle, but his skin was frigid, the contrast with Donghyuck's warm skin creating a cooling burn which almost anaesthetized the zone. Stress filled his veins and his blood visibly pulsed faster against his skin. The bright red in Mark's eyes was unsettling and scary, Donghyuck almost took back his wrist, but even if he wanted he wasn't sure he could, as Mark's grip transformed into an iron one, much more violent and impossible to escape from.

There was no turning back.

Fear mixed with excitement while Mark brushed his teeth against his wrist, scraping against the skin, then he sank his fangs in.

It _hurt._

A small scream escaped Donghyuck's throat when the excruciating pain hit him. His skin was ripped apart, the fangs were diving deep and Mark's grip tightened, bruising his forearm. He gripped the sheets, crushing them with his fist, his fingernails digging into his palms in a vain attempt to redirect the pain elsewhere and focus on another input, but it was impossible. His hand flew to Mark's shoulder, and he clamped it as hard as he could while he clenched his teeth, desperately trying to hold his whimpers of pain. He couldn't hold back the few tears that fell out of his eyes by themselves when Mark took out his fangs, touching the nerves inside his arm and sending burning impulses of pain right into his brain. Mark licked his wound and began drinking, his wet lips surrounding the injury. Donghyuck's hearing started to get damaged, but he heard the suction noises and Mark's moan of pleasure, and he felt a brand-new feeling half-way between the urging need to throw up and the smugness and excitement to provoke such desire. This was so _wrong_ . The room started spinning and his vision blurred, yet he wanted Mark to take _more._ He fell on his back, his head hitting the mattress when sitting upright became too hard to handle, his vision dancing in his mind, his senses mixing up with one another. He could smell what he heard, taste what he felt, see what he smelled. Mark was everywhere. In his eyes, around his wrist, above him.

It was like getting high on pain and it was the most pleasurable thing he ever experienced. His mind was fuzzy and he couldn't think.

The last thing he saw before falling into the darkness were Mark's red eyes staring straight back into his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/apolpote?s=09)   
>  [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.qa/apolpote)


	4. There's a place like hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very grateful to [Simply_A_Cherry_Bomb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Simply_A_Cherry_Bomb/works) my beta reader <3

_Oh, dear._

Tingling pain jolted along his wrist and woke Donghyuck up, sending a brusque flash of life in his aching heart pumping worriedly the few litres of blood he had left. An unpleasant taste of dirt seemed to stick his mouth closed, a soggy feeling numbing his tongue. His vision took some time to adjust, lights of the room flashing like a photo booth and dancing as some of a nightclub's would. Violent and regular blows resonated against the inside of his skull and made him feel groggy, his hands moving much slower than what he intended to. Getting in a sitting position turned out to be much more complicated than what he anticipated, and he whimpered in pain, an iron wave crushing all over his body making it impossible to focus on which part hurt the most, his left hand wanting to fly on his head or to grab his middle or his right wrist, to finally stay immobile at his side, completely useless. His back thumped against the bedhead, the impact almost cutting his breath short. Shapes and colours were getting clearer and more defined when he located the epicentre of his pain, the core of his excruciating misery rotting his right wrist's skin. Donghyuck resisted the urge to grab it to alleviate the pain when he saw the bright red skin still freshly opened and vulnerable, knowing it would only make it worse and that's the last thing he wanted, the wound oozing in a suspicious way. It looked unmistakably _ugly_ and nausea built up Donghyuck's throat, his legs trembling weakly while his bile threatened to burn his mouth. He barely had time to register that he was thirsty when a glass full of freshwater appeared right in front of his eyes. Donghyuck took it without questioning his provenance, although the thought crossed his mind he hurriedly cast it away and gulped the water, cooling the burn for a second only for it to come back stronger. Far from quenching his thirst, the glass teased his papilla which avidly asked for more.

_He was exhausted._

“How do you feel?” Donghyuck recognized Mark’s voice to his right and absent-mindedly brought his injured wrist to his chest, softly wrapping it with his other hand. 

“I feel like shit,” Mark bit his lip and Donghyuck could almost hear the ‘I can see that’ he tried so hard to repress. Having to face the vampire at the moment he woke up was a twisted irony and was very complicated to deal with. No matter how much he agreed on that bargain, truth to be told, in spite of what he thought, he actually had no idea of what he was signing for. The bite didn’t look like what he heard about vampires’ bites in fantasy and mythology. Reality was much more painful. Somehow he hated the idea of having to associate Mark and the weeping wound close to infection on his throbbing arm. “I’m thirsty.”

“It’s the angiotensin.”

“Sure, suddenly everything’s more clear now, thanks for clarifying the situation for me," a flash passed through Mark’s eyes, constantly oscillating between dark and softness, an apology seeming to be at the tip of his tongue which yet couldn't reach past his lips.

"It's the blood loss, sorry about that. I might have overdrank a bit."

"Well..." Said Donghyuck quietly. Awkwardness filled the room and Donghyuck came to think he would have preferred Mark to either apologize, or act like he didn't care about him, but this strange in-between was unsettling, to say the least, and left him walking on eggshells which he didn't feel like doing when his brain barely registered simple orders. "It's alright, isn't it? That's part of the deal. I'm still alive so you have nothing to reproach to yourself," Actually, he did, but this discussion was for later; now, Donghyuck needed water. Mark seemed to weigh the pros and cons of pursuing the matter, but ceased the perch Donghyuck held out to him and repeated the words trying to convince himself they spoke nothing but the truth.

"You're right." Mark took the glass and went to fill it in the bathroom. "It's three in the morning. Someone knocked on the door. Twice. It's not the boy from earlier. This one had the same scent as the one on your backpack, he sounded quite young. I waited for you to be awake, but I should probably go now," The glass freshened Donghyuck's body once again and Mark stood awkwardly beside his bed, the atmosphere getting thicker and thicker as Donghyuck regained his mind.

"Probably, yes," Panic tickled the back of his mind when he saw Mark heading towards the door and without thinking, Donghyuck called his name. "How much blood did you take exactly?" And maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to say. Mark's face closed perceptibly, and he lowered his head, his hands clenching on the door handle.

"Around one litre and a half," he whispered in a strained voice.

"Do you feel better?" Donghyuck looked at his eyes softening and after some time, Mark mumbled a small but sincere "Yes."

The painful truth sounded almost shameful, a reminder of what he used to be and what he had become. Shame dragged his shoulders down at the thought of how much he loved and relished every single drop of Donghyuck's blood, making the proud and audacious vampire look small and slumped.

"Good. I still have three litres and a half to be my dandy self right?” Donghyuck saw some clouds leaving Mark’s eyes, but his muscles remained tense. “But I better not catch you watching me sleep again, that's a creep move, Mark."

.

"Remind me why I must be here again?"

Donghyuck almost turned back on his heels to run back to his dorms. The coldness between them was unbearable. If he had known that letting Mark drink his blood would turn the vampire into a scolding, mono-expression, annoyed creature, Donghyuck wouldn't have insisted. What he thought as a gesture of kindness backfired and seemed to produce the opposite of what he expected. Instead of relieving Mark from a certain discomfort and improve their relationship, it somehow made everything worse. At the moment, death sounded more appealing than the six feet of distance manifesting the obvious separation Mark intended to build between them. Donghyuck scoffed and kicked a piece of wood with his foot. This was ridiculous.

"Your help is needed here, Donghyuck, as it would be best for you to interrogate said individual alongside me, to find answers to your many questions I'm afraid I wouldn't do justice."

He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, but couldn't repress the disgusted scowl twisting his mouth. In addition to the legendary coldness, he now had to discuss to a bad replica of an eighteenth's century aristocrat.

Wonderful.

"That sounds perfectly logical, my dear sir," Donghyuck fake bowed with an exaggerated smile plastered on his face that disappeared as quickly as it came. He purposefully decided to ignore Mark's brows furrowing.

Plan was to seek for the newborn and manage to extort information.

It looked easy on the paper and Donghyuck didn't think twice to accept the proposition after another boring week without Jeno and without Mark, he all but jumped on it. That's how he found himself kicking at wood sticks with a vampire as friendly as an alligator in the middle of a Saturday afternoon. It was way more than what he could take.

Mark was afraid of change, afraid of getting attached to Donghyuck, which already began to happen. It was so easy for him to develop feelings, he was desperately waiting for someone to warm up his bloodless heart frozen by loneliness. The fact that it was a human was logical considering his irrepressible need to act and behave like one although his peers mocked him for it, it was leading him down a path he knew would be too sinful to stop. Addictions, interspecies relationships, having to learn how to deal with someone who is close to your heart and a piece of meat at the same time?

"Look," He grabbed Mark's arm and forced him to stop. "It's just blood, alright? You don't have to be an ass about it, especially since I've been...uh... so generous." To prove his point Donghyuck comically widened his eyes in a half-serious attempt to emphasize his words. It had the merit to loosen some tension on Mark's features. "It's ok, Mark. Really. I'd rather have you make awkward jokes about dads permissions rather than this cold stone look you're serving."

"Dad's permission for what, Donghyuck? Have something to confess maybe?" Mark's taunting smile didn't reach his eyes, but he was trying. Donghyuck could work with that.

"Oh dear, here we go again. Glad to know you're back amongst us. Missed you."

Walking fast to hide his face crumbled by embarrassment became more important than anything else, because as stupid as it sounded, he really did. Miss him. And acknowledging it would only make it more real, he couldn’t process that now.

"I have to say I'm not very fond of woods anymore,” Mark eyed him in what he thought was a discreet manner in a lovely terrible attempt to hide his guilt and concern. Donghyuck wasn’t afraid of Mark anymore, not really, which was completely insane. However, his feelings from the night of Seulgi’s party remained vivid in his mind, anchored in his body. The unexpected arising from the dark terrified him and the fear he felt that night couldn’t go away in days, nor weeks. He unconsciously associated these woods with his terror and his powerlessness. 

“We’re almost there. Cutting through the woods is faster. I just assumed it would be best… we’ll take the streets next time.”

_Next time._

The subtle promise of Mark’s agreement to see Donghyuck again floated in the air and brought a gentle smile on Donghyuck’s face. Mark cleared his throat and looked at Donghyuck before shaking his head while his brows furrowed even more.

"It's not like I told you to wear something discreet."

"What do you mean? This is my nicest outfit,” Donghyuck opened his arms and spun on himself, his eyes and mouth wide to show his incredulity. His washed out green and orange oversized hippie jumper tucked in his light blue jeans and his light pink sneakers probably weren’t the most judicious choice he made, but in all honesty, he completely forgot what Mark had told him. He just got too excited to receive a text from him after one week of silence. When he noticed Mark’s efforts to hide his exasperation despite the softness eluding the tension of his features, Donghyuck couldn’t help but seize the occasion. Donghyuck hid his hands into the long sleeves and stomped on the floor throwing a small tantrum with a cute pout. “What do you mean, Mark?” It was getting harder to repress his own laugh when Mark’s face finally broke into one of the most genuine and dazzling smiles he had ever seen. He grabbed Mark’s arm and hugged it tight against his chest while he swung forward and backwards, his chin lifted to look at Mark expectantly. 

“What do you mean?” He nagged again in a forced, cute voice. Mark closed his eyes and bit his lower lip to contain the strong urge to laugh loudly and opened them when Donghyuck played with his arm. Mark grabbed the long necklace around Donghyuck’s neck, and rubbed his thumb against the smooth surface of the symbol hanging low.

“Is that… a cross?” Donghyuck stopped shuffling and tightened his arms around Mark’s. He straightened his back and tried to maintain a serious face, but gave up to the temptation of smiling wickedly. “Come on, admit it. It’s hilarious.” 

Mark looked straight in his eyes for a few seconds, his face still showing nothing but genuine surprise until he roared of laughter. A warm feeling spread through Donghyuck's stomach when he saw Mark's eyes shrunk as he laughed, the distinct melody of his brief moment of joy finding a special place in Donghyuck's memory. 

"You're really something, aren't you?" Exclaimed Mark, with tears of bliss sprinkling in the corner of his eyes. He looked down at Donghyuck who was trying his best to look cute and who was apparently diving in for a kiss with his lips exaggeratedly pushed forward. Another incredulous laughter escaped Mark’s panicked vocals chords. He pushed Donghyuck's face away with one hand and untangled him from his arm. "Stop that." 

Donghyuck didn't feel hurt, not even for a second, because Mark's face was still illuminated by this pure smile he never wanted to see disappear. 

  
  


.

  
  


It was getting dark when they finally reached the dim lighted street. Apparently, Mark didn’t spend his week brooming under the moon but actually demonstrated a good time management by seeking for the newborn. He followed Renjun’s blood trail which led him to a dead end and spent most of the time asking the vampires living in the city if they’ve heard anything about it. The only vampire in Donghyuck’s life being Mark, it always took him aback when he had to listen to him casually talking about vampire’s society. Getting used to the fact that actual vampires lived in his neighbourhood and that he had no idea how to differentiate them from his own peers made his skin crawl no matter how sweet Mark was, he couldn’t get out of his head the image of that creature hanging over Renjun’s corpse. There were the vampires and there was Mark. Somehow they were two very distinct things and Donghyuck couldn’t bring himself to associate both even if his self-preservation instinct screamed at him to do so every time he saw Mark’s eyes flash red for a split of a second. 

Cold and humid air filled Donghyuck’s lungs while they examined the street. A public dumpster was on the right, just next to a flickering street lamp. Puddles danced under his feet when he moved forward carefully, Mark at his side. 

“Can’t you do your weird android scanner thing?”

“Already did. Our intel should be here, the symbol is right here,” Mark pointed at an upside down dark smile hovering over a bright white eyelet tagged just above a background door. 

“What does that stand for?” For an inexplicable reason, a chill ran down Donghyuck’s spine at the sight of this symbol. Mark’s face darkened at the sight of it as well and Donghyuck could see his jaw tightening which never was a great sign.

“Nothing you should know about.”

“Alright then.”

Donghyuck busted into the building despite Mark’s protestations, opening the backdoor with a disproportionate force. He made a mistake when he assumed it would be locked. The metal door banged loudly against the wall and Donghyuck slowly turned back his head to share a guilty look with Mark’s exasperated eyes. It was the kitchen of what looked like an abandoned restaurant. The pans were getting rusty and the floor was dirty, dust covered the work plans and filled the air which made Donghyuck sneeze loudly.

“Discreet really isn’t part of your vocabulary, is it?” Donghyuck couldn’t think of a proper comeback before Mark spoke again. “Stay close to me in here, alright?” 

This was the exact moment Donghyuck’s ego felt the need to mark its presence, “I can handle myself just fine.”

It was a stupid thing to say. If there was a vampire in this dusty restaurant, he stood no chance, none at all, but some part of him couldn’t stand to be treated as if he was made of glass about to shatter at any second. Mark wasn’t treating him like that, he never did, to the point sometimes Donghyuck wished he would be a tad more delicate -his habit of shoving him away could get on his nerves. Nevertheless, Donghyuck felt irked as if he was talked down to, even if he knew Mark had no intention of doing so, and that he was _right_ anyway. His human pride was at stake, he was out there to find the truth and seek justice for his friend, and he wouldn’t back down now.

Just as he was about to walk towards the door at the end of the room, a woman emerged from behind the counter and latched at Donghyuck. She screamed loudly while she forced Donghyuck against the wall and wildly tried to scratch his face, but only reached his shoulders as Donghyuck managed to hold her at arms’ length.

Adrenaline rushed through Donghyuck’s blood who let instincts kick in as he put all the strength he could gather into the most violent headbutt he ever produced. He didn’t wait for surprise to reach his brain when the woman _actually_ seemed affected by it as she backed down with a whimper, and immediately followed his blow with a strong punch in the woman’s face. She fell to the floor and Donghyuck smiled widely while he tried to catch his breath, his panic levels slowly going down as he lowered his fists to his sides.

“Mark, did you just see that?” He couldn’t help but brag at the sight of the creature grabbing her head in pain. “You can keep bragging about vampires’ strength, but it’s obviously overrated,” he deadpanned.

“She’s not a vampire,” Mark growled and grabbed the woman by her neck, lifting her without any effort. 

“I’m sorry, _what_?” 

The woman struggled in Mark’s grasp, desperately trying to break free, her hands scratching at Marks’. Her vain attempts left no marks on Mark’s skin and Donghyuck stood there, mouth agape while he watched the woman’s brown eyes fill with tears when they locked on Donghyuck, clearly having given up the idea of touching Mark. 

“Please, don’t kill me,” The woman pleaded, while she fought for air, her fingers clenching around Mark’s tensed wrist. That was enough to force Donghyuck back to his senses.

“We won’t,” He assured. He realized he probably didn’t seem convincing when he heard his own voice tremble and cleared his throat. “Let the poor girl go Mark, you’re frightening her! Geez,” When he saw Mark wasn’t loosening his grip, he had to force his hand away from the woman’s neck. Even if Mark opposed no resistance, he didn’t look at Donghyuck and kept his dark eyes fixed on the woman coughing and gasping for air. Mark caught Donghyuck’s hand when he tried to pull away and tugged him at his side, clenching his hand almost painfully. Donghyuck opened his mouth to protest but stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Mark’s face. 

He never looked so angry before. 

Cold sweat rolled down Donghyuck’s neck and his breathing cut short as intimidation took over his body. He was only thankful the anger didn’t seem to be directed at himself. “I’m sorry for him, he’s a caveman,” Donghyuck smiled sheepishly at the woman when he considered Mark wouldn’t be up for a civilized conversation. 

"I don't know anything, I swear,” she cried out.

“Careful there, mindless words can bring you to a hot burning place, and trust me, not the fun kind,” Donghyuck side-eyed Mark and stepped away slightly. Mark looked more focused and serious than he had ever seen him, his eyes steady and aggressive, with his jaw twitching every so often at the sight of the woman curled up on the floor. She appeared to be rather young, her body frame almost child-like, but she had heavy features carrying hours or years of struggle and exhaustion on her small face. Her light brown eyes were perfectly human and so was the blood dripping down her lip, slit open during the altercation. 

Earlier, when he decided to wear that cross necklace, he hadn’t really thought of it more than as a harmless joke, but the thought that Mark could actually be a believer raised many theological questions he couldn’t wait to ask.

“What do we do then?” asked Donghyuck quietly, careful not to irk Mark even more than he already was. 

“Nothing. She’s hiding something -or rather someone- and I know exactly who that is,” Mark’s heinous look travelled from the woman’s pitiful form to the room’s entry, where a man was watching them. He clapped slowly the sound rebounding against the walls, accentuating the ironic effect. His shirt was closer to a rag rather than an actual piece of clothing, he looked dishevelled and poor yet his stature appeared very noble. Crashing into waves, his aura was powerful enough for Donghyuck to understand that he wasn’t facing an ordinary acquaintance, and that this man obviously belonged to a high class castle rather than to a crusty pitiful excuse of a kitchen.

“A tad dramatic, don’t you think?” said Donghyuck. The intruder gave him a polite smirk and Donghyuck recoiled and crossed his arms over his chest, an uneasy feeling inexplicably invading his entire being. He felt threatened; trapped. He tried his best to lower his heart rate and breathe calmly when he saw Mark’s quick glance filled with worry. It lasted barely half of a second, maybe less, before the vulnerability washed off his face, but it was enough to terrify Donghyuck.

“Clever, as always. What gave me away?” The cold, sulky voice made Donghyuck’s skin crawl uncontrollably.

“The supremacist symbol above the door.”

“Of course, _you_ of all people wouldn’t miss it, right? Reminds you of great times?” Donghyuck planted his fingers in his arms to stay rooted while the man got closer, a devilish smile underlining his blood-red eyes.

“Considering your clothes, your distasteful state and the fact that this whimpering thing in the corner is still alive, I’m assuming... you fell in love with her,” the vampire’s smile fell instantly and the tension in the room shifted, Donghyuck’s gut telling him to run away because he stood in front of a predator he couldn’t beat. 

“Careful there, Mark,” He gritted between his teeth.

“Oh,” Mark got closer until he got face to face with the man, a threatening smile crawled on his face and revealed his immaculate fangs, “the irony is palpable, Kun. It truly is, exhilarating.”

“It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Mark. As you may already know, I cannot help you,” Kun’s eyes shifted anxiously to the woman on the floor, a glimpse of vulnerability showing for the first time on his face, “Now, _leave,”_ he snarled, “You’re putting us in danger.” 

“Look at you… After all these years, after everything we’ve done, after everything you’ve stood for…”

“I stood,” spat Kun, his voice turning to an inhuman growl as he briskly got closer to Mark’s face, furious anger plastered all over his face, “for what I believed was _right_. And you did so too, don’t you dare shame me for it.”

“I think we should all feel ashamed, old friend,” murmured Mark, his voice shifting to a softer tone, regret visible in his eyes flashing the ghost of a memory.

“I had no idea this would happen… that this _could_ happen,” whispered Kun while looking at the long haired girl. Donghyuck took pity in her and felt that it wasn’t right to leave her like that, especially since he was the one hurting her in the first place. He moved carefully, judging the atmosphere tension, careful to perceive any sign of aggressiveness from Kun and when he felt positive enough that he wouldn’t end up as his dinner, he went to help her up without lowering his guard. She thanked him quietly and he smiled at her softly. Her eyes seemed to reflect his own fears and confusion and in this moment, a deep connection grew up between them because of how similar their situations were. They were able to empathize with one another without having to communicate with words, there was no need to explain, they just knew.

“Neither did I,” answered Mark seriously. Kun held the girl’s shoulders and wrapped an arm around her, leading her away from Donghyuck and Mark. Cold and fear rushed back into Donghyuck’s body as soon as the connection was cut off and his chest clenched hurtfully under the drained look Kun gave him. Ice-cold fingers ran down his arm and held his own hand, shifting him slightly behind Mark who didn’t even look at him, his eyes still fixed on Kun, his whole body rigid and on edge.

"Would you even tell me if you knew something?"

"No, no probably not, _Mark._ " They started at each other for a little more until Mark whispered a soft “Come on,” tugging at Donghyuck’s hand leading him towards the exit. 

“Oh, just one last thing,” Kun called them before they left the room, his evil smile back on his face. “That human of yours looks ravishing, Mark.”

“I’m not _his_!” Screamed Donghyuck indignantly, mouth agape in consternation. Mark tensed up even more -Donghyuck was sure he wasn’t even pretending to breathe anymore- and pushed him outside the room, his eyes glowing a dark menacing red.

“Alright, let’s get the fuck out of here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/apolpote?s=09)   
>  [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.qa/apolpote)


	5. There was a time earth smelled like blood and rotten flesh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im back hi  
> \- consentual sexual content at the end of this chapter  
> \- mention of a pain kink  
> \- mentions of an oppressive political system  
> \- mentions of death  
> \- graphic despiction of blood and injury

“What the fuck was that?”

“ _That_ , Donghyuck,” Mark looked around, making sure they weren’t followed, and pushed on Donghyuck’s lower back, forcing him to walk faster, “was a warning.”

“A what? Mark, a _what_?” Yelled Donghyuck in a strangled voice. “Will you please stop?!” Donghyuck yanked Mark’s hand away and stopped his walking. It looked like a tantrum, and to be perfectly honest: he was throwing one, but he had no other solution to express his confusion and frustration as Mark kept dismissing his questions. “What are you talking about?” He sought for this usual reassuring mischievous and joking spark in Mark's eyes but only met harsh darkness. 

“Not here, Donghyuck.”

Maybe it was the tone of his voice, maybe it was the tight edge it held, his relentless eyes or his tensed muscles. 

There was no way of knowing what exactly convinced Donghyuck not to oppose any resistance at Mark tugging his arm and dragging him back to his dorm. Whatever it was, it grew inside him like a horned root and clenched his chest, uneasiness filling his mind and trapping his lungs as he started to get worked up about the whole situation. Somehow, the more he learnt, the more confusing it became. He had set foot in a world beyond his understanding, with laws and customs he couldn't quite catch if he followed what his own logic dictated him.

There were some things he did understand.

Supremacist.

Mark was a supremacist.

This word would never be used for a good cause.

He made a pact with a vampire. It was irrational to feel things such as disappointment and betrayal regarding that creature, it made no sense. 

It was to be expected.

The only other vampire Donghyuck knew killed his best friend. 

It was expected this one would be no better and it was naïve and foolish to have thought otherwise. Donghyuck could only be mad at himself. What came close to a broken heart was the direct result of his own stupidity.

How could he have been so stupid? Getting along with a vampire?

Mark was right after all.

He was insane.

When they reached the dorms’ gates, Mark let go of his arm and seemed to realized what train of thoughts Donghyuck just had, because he suddenly looked sheepish and lowered his head as if he was a wounded animal.

Donghyuck was so weak.

It was a simple gesture yet it made him fight the urge to step forward and lift his head to tell Mark that everything would be alright, that he wasn't mad, that they were still friends. _Friends_.

All it took for the vampire was one sheepish look and Donghyuck was ready to erase what could be an eternity of terrible criminal behaviour and dubious morality. It was pathetic to the point he even started to wonder if he was bewitched. He wondered if Mark filled his veins with a poison that would dementor his mind, forcing him to be compliant and docile. 

This seemed like a plausible hypothesis — at least it wasn't one he should overlook — and yet, he did overlook it, because ' _Mark would never do that.'_

What does he know about it? How could he be naive enough to surrender to such a childish and silly thought? 

He looked at Mark's raven hair and fair face, and it hurt to admit that the one who made his heart swell with affection and excitement for the first time in a while was actually a stranger.

"I should not take the main entry and risk people seeing me." Mark waited for Donghyuck's response and cleared his throat when he got none. "I will just walk along the side and climb to your window. I will be waiting in your room. Please do hurry. We have a lot to discuss." Mark allowed some vulnerability to slip out on his face when he pronounced his last words; anxious about Donghyuck's consent, unsure whether he'd prefer to stop everything or accept to hear him out and to learn more of the very truth he himself couldn't fathom. 

A sharp pain flared through his frozen heart, digging an unfixable crack printed forever amongst the other lines drawing his story. Covering his emotions was a skill he came to master throughout the years and although it was far from being difficult to do so, it nevertheless stayed extremely painful. Mark turned on his heels without a second glance, perfectly aware that Donghyuck understood the whereabouts and the unshared worries and yet decided to give no peace offering, keeping his eyes cold and so painfully careful in a way that was cruel enough to stab Mark's heart once more.

Donghyuck's hand gripped the gate in an iron fist, grounding him against his will to nourish the meagre hope that Mark would come back to him and explain everything, that Mark would tell him this was a big misunderstanding. Logic ordered to gather the pretence of pride he had left and ignore the vampire but his feet couldn't move, prisoners of his heart's protests as his internal turmoil boiled up and raised fire to his eyes; fire he didn't manage to extinguish with his own tears which he wiped out in frustration.

When Donghyuck sneaked in the dormitory, he didn't expect to meet anyone considering it was well past curfew -two in the morning according to his watch- that's why he startled when a familiar voice calling his name echoed through the -almost- empty corridors. It was dark, but he would have no use of his eyes, his hearing more than enough to identify the two friends bickering like an old couple at his doorstep. 

  
  


"Are you perhaps short of grey matter?" Jisung whispered furiously.

"What? No! Of course not."

"Then what is so hard to comprehend in 'stay discreet', Chenle? Ah, it's so frustrating, really."

  
  


Donghyuck buried a smile at the sight of his close friends. They shared some classes together and although from a foreign perspective the constant bickering could seem hostile, Donghyuck knew them well enough to realize their words held no heat nor any intention to harm one another and it eventually became more than entertaining to witness the explosion these two would create as soon as they were in the same room. Out of pure decency he pretended not to see Chenle's hand linger softly on Jisung's forearm, nor the way Jisung angled his entire body towards Chenle as if he was his centre of gravitation, and he cleared his throat, more for his own sake than theirs. 

  
  


"Donghyuck!" Beamed Chenle.

"Hi guys, what are you doing here at this hour?" Chenle was about to answer but got cut off by Jisung's hesitant voice.

"Honestly... we could ask you the same thing." 

He looked sheepish and so young even though they were almost the same age. This confidence mixed with the way he couldn't hold his gaze for too long — or couldn't stop fidgeting his fingers or couldn't ease the muscles painting his tensed expression — gave a weird but endearing mix of youth and introversion. Jisung's outbursts weren't rare when you belonged to his close circle, but Donghyuck took the time to appreciate the fact that he was lucky enough to belong to it. Jisung wasn't shy - by all means, he wasn't. He was just reserved.

  
  


"Is this an interrogation?"

"Only if you make it out to be," Chenle answered, outwitting him. All traces of the heart warming smile he usually wore were now gone, his face serious and tensed. "Can't we enter your room, Donghyuck?" He asked, his voice laced with fake politeness.

"I'm afraid you can't." Replied Donghyuck with a tight smile. They both dropped their masks and the tension flirting with hostility vanished all the same as soon as Jisung raised his voice again.

"We're just worried about you. You haven't exactly been... well... we're just worried about alright? That's it. We want to make sure everything is ok. You're very distracted in class, I mean, more than usual. And you talk about this Mark fella a lot, but we never met him."

"Jisung..." Chenle chipped in under his breath, trying his best to stop his friend who blatantly ignored him and kept on talking.

"We know you fought with Jeno, and Jaemin has been telling us you didn't hang out with him since the party, and it's not exactly like we see each other a lot either… I just thought... you must feel very lonely."

"What is that supposed to mean exactly?" Donghyuck frowned and managed to keep his anger under control. He knew he felt defensive when he probably shouldn't - his friends just wanted what was best for him, he knew that - Jisung and Chenle shouldn't be the ones to pay for his irrational mood swings.

And yet.

These feelings were just stronger than he was sometimes.

"We were just thinking... we were wondering if... well... no one saw Mark, except you. Don't you think that's strange? Maybe we should... maybe we should talk about it with your psychiatrist don't you think? Maybe Mark exists, but only in your mind."

"Alright. That's it. You finally said it," spat Donghyuck. He laughed bitterly when tears started to well up in his eyes. "Oh, I bet you're _loving_ this aren't you?"

"Donghyuck, please don't," begged Chenle.

"I can't imagine how great it must be to finally be able to call me crazy _and_ claim it's for my own good."

"Donghyuck stop it," ordered Chenle, his jaw clenched and his eyes unforgiving. He stood straight from all his height in front of Jisung who remained painfully silent.

"You've been waiting for this for quite some time now."

"That's unfair and you know it. Stop here before saying something you won't be able to take back," Chenle said firmly, leaving no room for discussion, but it was too late. Donghyuck let himself be consumed by this chaos who threatened to destroy everything and everyone standing in its way. "You had a long day. Get some sleep. We'll talk about it when you're ready."

Chenle pushed Jisung gently, leading him back to their own room while Donghyuck closed his eyes and breathed slowly. He took out his frustration and his exhaustion on the only friends he had left, just as he thought he would. Being aware of his terrible actions and witnessing them happen anyway felt somehow worse than just messing up. 

Impotence added up to guilt and ended up paralysing him even more in front of his demons, making him swirl in a cursed circle, dancing until his feet couldn't carry him anymore. He knew what he was doing - or what he was _about_ to do - was bad and would hurt not only himself but those around him and yet, he couldn't stop himself from doing it anyway.

Sometimes, he saw himself as a little boy who needed an older sibling to show him the path to follow, to guide him, to hold his hand and tell him that everything would be alright.

He long learned to treat dreams as they were - unreal. Keeping his feet on the ground was the only thing which prevented him from swirling into madness. Dreams were for children.

He was no longer a child.

"Chenle!" Both of his friends stopped and waited for him to speak, keeping the hallway silent. 

_I'm so sorry._

"Goodnight," Came out instead. However, cursing himself seemed to be unnecessary as they both gave him the tinniest of smiles. They understood.

"Goodnight Donghyuck."

.

  
  


"Trouble in paradise?"

Donghyuck sighed heavily when he heard Mark's smug voice, because _of course_ Mark managed to get here before he did even if he had three floors to climb and security to bypass. Donghyuck leaned against the closed door, listening carefully to make sure his friends actually left and weren't eavesdropping. He kept his hands secured between his back and the door, to avoid any unfortunate gesture - it took great self-control to not flip Mark off right there and then - and let his head fall back to rest on the door, exhaustion almost sweeping his body off his feet.

Mark rubbed his usual arrogance off his face and his body visibly tensed, his muscles straightening so much Donghyuck thought he would break in half like fragile glass if he tried to move. They looked at each other, understanding swimming through both of their stern, tired looks.

"You know what's funny?" Donghyuck finally broke the silence.

"Enlighten me."

"I'm spending most of my time with you, the monster who belongs to the species that murdered my best friend in this very room; while all my friends drift away from me." Donghyuck's voice wobbled, filled with venom and despair.

"You're the one pushing them away."

"That's true, you're right." His eyes started to dampen and Donghyuck could feel his lower lip tremble slightly, the deep unease clenching his chest slowly evolving enough to clog his throat. "Ironic, isn't it? I'm chasing my friends away, to be with _you,_ of all people. I don't even _know_ you!" Donghyuck exclaimed in a humourless laugh.

"For some reason, I'm drawn to you, and I don't know if it's because I genuinely appreciate you — which to be honest, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the mere concept of it — or if it's because I'm just so _desperate_ and lost beyond return. Maybe they're right. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe you're not even real. Maybe this is just my brain trying to cope with all this shit," Donghyuck's voice broke and pain flew across Mark's face for no more than a second before he crossed the room in big strides. He cupped Donghyuck's face in one of his ice-cold hands and pressed hard enough to bruise his cheek, but not enough to hurt him. Just enough for Donghyuck to feel him.

"I'm right here, Donghyuck," He stared with determination into Donghyuck's hesitant eyes and locked their foreheads together.

No words would convince him, he had to convey his feelings through his eyes, something he didn't do in many years - or was it centuries? He stopped counting. The fact that he couldn't remember the last time he had an intimate relationship with another living being shattered some more of what was left of his frozen heart. He could only hope it worked. He sighed heavily and turned his back to Donghyuck, fetching the whiskey bottle he knew the student hid in his fridge. Mark poured himself a drink under Donghyuck's astonished gaze, yet, the younger one didn't try to stop him. 

"I believe I owe you some explanation."

"I believe you do." 

Mark gestured for Donghyuck to take a seat on the bed, and he complied silently. He didn't want to rile the vampire up and was trying to focus on getting answers. 

"Who was this guy? It seemed like you knew each other quite well."

Mark drank from his cup as if it was the last thing he was ever going to taste and poured himself another drink before he joined Donghyuck on the bed.

"His name is Kun. He's old. Older than I am, which is something to say."

"I think I need a drink too," dropped Donghyuck, laying against the headrest with his knees drawn to his chest. Mark chuckled softly, some tension easing off his shoulders and Donghyuck praised himself for it, a small smile appearing at the corner of his lips, the tense atmosphere already seeming more breathable.

"We used to be very close. He was my brother. We all were..." Ghosts danced in Mark's veiled eyes. 

He was lost in his memories and Donghyuck didn't have the heart to interrupt and bring him back. This felt oddly intimate, more intimate than anything they've ever shared before — more intimate than Mark drinking his blood _directly_ from his wrist. This was about Mark, about whom he really was, about his past and about his life, and if he needed time to share things that were too painful to remember, then Donghyuck would be sensible enough to wait for him to be ready.

"We all belonged to a political group, with rather... extreme ideas."

"The supremacists he talked about?" Mark nodded while he avoided his eyes, head hanging low.

"We called ourselves the Anoteros. We were powerful. Extremely powerful. And it's an understatement. We took the power away from the Council's hands, not by force, but with the support of the people who joined our cause. They were all manipulated by the propaganda we diffused throughout the world. Honesty didn't mean much to us at the time, manipulation was nothing more than a mean to an end. We wanted power. It's the only thing we've ever wanted, because we believed that with power in our hands, we could change the world and make it a better place."

"But it's not what you did, did you?" Donghyuck asked softly, already knowing the answer.

"No. No, we did not," answered Mark bitterly, rage and regret clawing at his throat. 

"We believed that we were not just entitled to rule over the vampires, but that we also had the right to rule the world. We were tired of hiding, of living in fear of humans, humans who were so much weaker than we were. Why did we have to hide? It didn't make sense. They were the ones who were supposed to run away. They were the prey, and we were the hunters. The world was upside down and it was our duty to re-establish the natural order," Words slipped out of Mark's mouth almost mechanically, with a force quite foreign to Donghyuck. Bits of his past discourse seemed to be tattooed under his skin no matter how hard he tried to fight them - and he did, if that clenched jaw was any indication.

"Things got out of hand. Our supreme leader, Lee Taeyong, was a good man, a great man even; but he was capable of cruelty we couldn't have imagined. Ambition blinded him, it blinded us all. We burnt cities to the ground, we enslaved humans and kept them at our mercy drinking from them without their consent. They were treated like meat, only alive because they served us better that way."

"How come none of the humans now know about this? The mere existence of vampires is just a fantasy to us; how could you have set the world on fire and enslaved the entire world population without it being mentioned in any history book?"

"History is written by the winning side, Donghyuck. After this fiasco, we went back into hiding. Erasing any trace of what happened was much easier than it should have been. We were ashamed — at least, most of us were. Many tried to kill themselves, unable to live with the burden of what they had done weighting down on their conscience. 

“I tried. Many times. But I kept failing. Again and again. Immortality was our punishment. I begged the Council to take my life, what was left of me, but they always refused; and I'm glad they did. I deserved to suffer for what I had done," Mark's eyes were colder than Donghyuck could ever remember seeing them, and his fingers clenched around his glass while he drank again, trying to numb away the memories filling his mind, flames dancing in his vision and screams deafening him.

"I was a young vampire. Young and angry. Hatred was the only thing that kept me standing because I knew nothing else, and I turned their world into mine. Without realizing I was the one spreading a terrible disease, too blinded by my own rage, I destroyed the life of millions."

"How did it all stop then? I don't reckon you've all suddenly developed an attachment to humans."

"They didn't," Another bitter laugh. "But I did. I started to feel guilty. Horribly guilty. My immaturity as a vampire was slowly seeping out of my body and my mind, and I could finally start to see things more clearly. The more I understood humans, the more my heart splintered. Mother's wails cut through my flesh and ate me alive. This was the irony of it all; I became the prey. The prey to superior forces... or was it to myself?.. forces that were begging me to stop this massacre. 

“Until one day, I couldn't bear with it any more, and I ran a dagger through our supreme leader's heart. I ripped him, limb by limb and I burnt his body. I promised myself he would be the last person I was ever going to kill." Mark's haunted look turned into a sad one, his heart aching and despite himself, the love he felt for his leader never really left him, in spite of his acts of cruelty. 

"He was my friend. My creator. He was like a father to me and I beheaded him and watched him burn. I betrayed him, perjured myself. Kun was his left hand, and I was his right hand. Many atrocities were committed under my direct command. The responsibilities were and still are fully mine. I could have stopped this at any moment and I didn't, I was enjoying it, believing in the superiority of vampires above all races."

"What did you do... after?" Donghyuck's voice almost didn't come out of his throat, too moved and scared to produce a steady sound.

"I ran away from the brotherhood. They despised me, all of them. My own brothers wanted me dead and the ones who sided with the Council weren't any kinder towards me. So I travelled around the world. Roamed around the globe amongst humans. I helped them re-build, I spent all my time with them, learnt to love them and understand them. I fed mostly on fresh corpses until I controlled myself enough to only drink animal blood. It tastes like ashes but I'm in no position to complain. Then it wasn't enough to keep me sane, so I had to steal from hospitals' stocks and morgues, but I kept my promise."

"What about Kun then? Why was that girl still alive if he is so adamant to hate humans?"

"I believe he broke faith with the brotherhood. I believe that, against all odds — and trust me I'm the first surprised — he fell in love with this human. This would be the only reason that would have led him to leave the brotherhood and betray his own brothers, the only reason that would force him to live like a gutter dog in a dirty alleyway. He was a king once, and so was I. King of the ashes." Mark spat with regret.

"What about the symbol above the door then? If he's hiding from the brotherhood, why would he tell them exactly where he is?"

"It is not the brotherhood he is running from. Kun must be torn right now. He will never abandon his ideals, and the opinions he shares with the brotherhood will never change, no human would ever be able to change that, his hatred runs too deep, he is beyond saving. And at the same time, he finds himself to be in love with a human. It seems like fate decided to punish him quite cruelly as well." Under Donghyuck's curious look, Mark went on, "He must be hiding from the Council. They would use his human as leverage against him, they would put her in harm's way and that just can't happen."

"Why not?"

"Donghyuck, you need to understand this very well." Mark looked straight into his eyes and Donghyuck swallowed loudly, cursing himself for his lack of discretion. 

"For a vampire, love is not like it is for humans. We only fall in love once in our existence. We were only given one heart, once it’s used and broken you can’t patch it up, that’s not how it works. Not for us. It breaks, literally.” 

Out of all the things he said about himself tonight, somehow, Mark felt like this was the most important one and Donghyuck could easily guess why. He couldn’t be mistaken, not with the way Mark’s eyes were so openly telling it to him. 

This was a declaration, an agreement to make sure Donghyuck knew what he was getting into. Mark was brave enough to bare his heart to him and yet let him a way out, an emergency escape, a last resort to get away from this world he barely knew anything about except that it was ruled by chaos and violence; the two very same forces that destroyed his life. 

When he looked into Mark’s eyes, he felt a very different force pulling him closer - he _wanted_ to go with Mark, to take the risk, to assume the responsibilities. 

Then, his mind took back control of his heart. This was nothing like he’d ever met before. Going with Mark was much bigger than any commitment he would have taken in his human life; this went beyond institutions, beyond traditions and social bonds. If he took that oath, he wouldn’t be able to break it - there was no going back. 

The perspective of threatening Mark’s existence felt surreal and absurd but also filled him with a strange sense of power that would bring balance into their dynamic. It was quite hard to believe he meant so much to Mark, a few weeks ago they were still strangers, and yet… Were his own feelings deep enough to engage in such a final and serious relationship? He was only in his twenties, he never experienced fleeting relationships, maybe a kiss here and there, but he never had a boyfriend, nor a girlfriend, the closest thing he had to that was Renjun and Jeno, but these were profound feelings of friendship, just pure feelings of platonic love for his childhood friends. He was so young, so, _so_ young, yet, pursuing his path alongside Mark didn’t feel like a mistake, it just felt _right_. 

To hell all the shallow loves he could have met, to hell the numerous times his heart would have been broken only to recover stronger than ever. _This_ was the right path. Because it was what he wanted the most.

"If the love interest dies... well... some die from it, but that's sweet mercy. Most of us go mad, some enter an endless murderous rage, some become an empty shell, only the shadow of themselves, nothing more than a torn soul cursed with eternal life of suffering or numbness. It is a fate I do not wish to anyone.

"Whoever did this to your friend, Donghyuck, I will find them. I will find them and I will make them pay for what they did. There are rules now. Rules we all need to respect, to avoid history from repeating itself. Even the newborns no matter how blood thirsty they are, they _need_ to respect them. Otherwise, it's... _chaos_." 

Determination was lighting up Mark’s traumatized eyes dulled with remorse and shame, and Donghyuck felt his apprehension and disgust slowly erase to leave place for affection. The Mark from the story wasn’t the one sitting beside him in his small, pitiful student room. Who was he to judge a centuries old creature? Mark already received his punishment and atoned for what he did, it was not his place to add to his sentence. Any sort of punishment coming from him would only be cruelty. Mark had only begun to open up to him, and he wouldn’t be the one to force him back into his lonely shell by whipping him with the whip he used on himself for years and tried to force into his hands. He could only witness Mark punishing himself, but he would take no part in it.

"I don't believe you're a monster, Mark,”’ said Donghyuck calmly, gentleness seeping in his voice.

"Don't believe I'm a- ... Have you been listening? I butchered children, _little children,_ Donghyuck, without a second thought!" 

And so Mark's shell finally cracked. Tears escaped his eyes and a loud choked sob broke his voice. He drowned himself into his whiskey until none a drop of it was left. Donghyuck covered Mark's trembling fingers with his own steady ones, taking the glass away from him and casting it aside on the night stand.

"Mark," The vampire didn't acknowledge him and kept his head low, hiding his embarrassing tears, tangible proof that the horrors he committed were serious enough to bring him to cry. "Mark please, look at me," Donghyuck cupped his face with one hand to force him to look straight into his own eyes.

"A monster wouldn't feel remorse," Mark closed his eyes and weakly shook his head, his mouth twisting in a pained grimace while another sob passed his lips. 

Donghyuck watched in silence as Mark wailed in agony beside him. He could feel the centuries of pain radiating off him, the things he never got to tell to anyone finally said out in the open, to the person who mattered so much to him.

"This was a long time ago, Mark. I forgive you. I can only hope that you'll find the strength to forgive yourself."

Mark smiled softly through his remaining tears and held Donghyuck's wrist with his hand, anchoring himself as much as he could. Kind brown eyes were staring back at him, and he felt his heart being remodelled in his chest, the damaged pieces slowly coming back together. He knew what it meant, but the prospect of it was terrifying - for both of them. Instead of voicing it, he just held the other's gaze and struck his thumb lightly over the healing wound on Donghyuck's wrist, leaning his cheek in his touch.

"You are a peculiar man, Lee Donghyuck."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Mark chuckled lightly and even if it didn't reach his eyes, seeing him smile filled Donghyuck with warmth.

"You should talk to your friend. This Lee Jeno really cares about you, and no matter how hard you lie to yourself, you care about him too. Life is too short," Donghyuck raised an eyebrow at that and Mark laughed with him, the clear sound coming out of Donghyuck's chest lightening his own. "Well, it is for you," He said with eyes glistening with malice and a joking smile.

"You're probably right. I'll see him tomorrow, end this stupid feud."

"That's good."

They stayed silent for quite a long time after that, simply basking in each other's presence and company, until fatigue became too heavy on Donghyuck's eyes. He took off his shirt and put on his pyjama pants, then laid down under his covers. Donghyuck cuddled against Mark's hip who was still seated against the headrest, and he played with his jeans, passing his fingers into the belt loops mindlessly while he tried to find sleep. Without a word, Mark adjusted the blanket around Donghyuck's body and switched off the light, but he remained right where he was.

Donghyuck didn't ask him to leave.

.

“Geez, I’m so bad at this.”

Donghyuck closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to dial down his rambling. Now more than ever, focus and clarity was needed, and he couldn’t let himself be overwhelmed by his own erratic thoughts that invaded his mind on the daily. He stood awkwardly in front of Jeno’s desk and tried to ignore the incredibly fast pace of his anxious heart - without much success. 

Jisung and Chenle were waving at him and mouthing encouragement from the end of the amphitheatre, illustrating their support and enthusiasm with wide arm gestures. How they managed to be so loud while being completely silent was beyond Donghyuck. The ridiculous display of supportive behaviour warmed him up, and he couldn’t help but feel deep affection for his two friends. They were here for him, even if he wasn’t the greatest of friends these days, even if he was a stubborn piece of shit too proud to properly apologize. Their loyalty was something he held close to his heart. It pushed him forward and gave him enough courage to keep speaking. 

“Look. We said a lot of things to each other, things we might both regret. There is no erasing of what we’ve done or said and in a heated moment we ended up hurting each other and there is no way this hurt will disappear, it’s our own scars that go with the different feelings of anger, betrayal and frustration we felt at this moment. Truth is we love each other. We always did and as far as I’m concerned, we always will. You’re the person whom I shared most of my life with, and the love I feel for you runs deeper than any fight, argument or momentary anger we would ever encounter. I know you like the back of my hand, and I cherish every single aspect of you, the good like the bad. You’re precious to me, and I don’t ever want to lose you. I know I act like a twat sometimes - most of the time,” Donghyuck chuckled nervously. “Yet you’re always by my side and you bear with all my shit when most people would have already dumped me years ago, and you don’t have to go through all of that and I’ll never thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. You and me, we’re… we can’t end like this. We can’t end. I don’t want us to.”

Jeno’s lack of words didn’t stress him out, on the contrary, he was grateful he didn’t interrupt him. He wouldn’t guarantee that he would have been able to keep talking if he was cut off at some point in his rambling. Jeno was never one for words anyway. Silence sometimes spoke a thousand words, and Jeno simply did not to talk when it wasn’t necessary. Perhaps that was why when he did speak, his words always held such power and impacted Donghyuck so deeply. 

“I miss you. And I guess that what I’m to say is that… I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Jeno. And I forgive you. I hope that eventually you’ll be able to forgive me as well,” he said, Mark’s words from two days ago echoing in his mind.

The moment he saw Jeno’s soft eye smile, he knew everything would be alright. It would never be forgotten, because they both don’t want to forget anything that shaped them. Even the bad was part of their friendship. It wasn’t the first time they fought and it wouldn’t be the last, these were rare situations, but whenever they got mad at each other, they made sure to never forget about what happened, and to learn from their mistakes. Talking things out, being honest with each other, that’s what they’ve always been doing, and even if it was tough and sometimes hurtful, this was what felt right. They drifted apart only to come back together, closer than ever. 

Jeno turned around and looked behind him then gave both thumbs up to Jisung and Chenle who erupted in laughter. When he turned back to him, Jeno smiled softly and Donghyuck felt his last worries slip away with his own stretched lips. 

“I was never really mad at you to begin with.”

.

  
  


“I think we should go to the Citadel.”

“We should do what now?” Donghyuck grimaced while he discarded his bag at the bottom of his bed. Mark was laying down, one hand between his head and the pillow as he contemplated the white ceiling.

“To get to the bottom of things we need to go and meet the Council. They keep a record of all the new transformations. If a newborn escaped the custody of its creator, they would know.”

“The Council? You want to go and see the Council? The very same powerful group of people who hate you so much that they wouldn’t even kill you out of mercy? Isn’t the Brotherhood in the Citadel as well? The Brotherhood, the people who actually _do_ want your head on a spike?” 

Mark turned his head to look at him from the bed and stayed silent for a while, his features completely still as if he couldn’t wrap his head around what Donghyuck had just said.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he deadpanned. 

“Uh uh,” said Donghyuck ironically. “Just making sure we were on the same page.”

When Mark raised a teasing eyebrow at him, Donghyuck sighed and dropped his barriers. He could feel the worry showing on his face when his muscles relaxed in defeat. Showing vulnerability was something they both re-learnt to do but every single time he let a small bit of his emotions slip away, Donghyuck felt a deep unease clenching his gut, his instincts yelling at him to go back in his shell and to protect himself. Trust wasn’t something he had the luxury of giving away carelessly. 

“Mark, I…” He sighed before joining Mark onto the bed, sitting next to him, so that he would try and have a look at the other’s face. “I know you’re trying to help me, for Renjun, and I’m grateful. I really am. But this… this just feels a bit too reckless, not to say completely insane.”

“What would be life without danger? It spices things up a bit.” A ravishing smile made Mark look devilish, but no matter how hard he tried to make the situation a laughing matter, Donghyuck couldn’t help but worry about the possible outcomes. “Besides—” Mark sighed while he closed his eyes, “—this is a _bargain_ , Lee Donghyuck, remember? I’m not helping you, I’m working for you, that’s quite different.”

“What kind of employee refuses to collect his payment?” Scoffed Donghyuck sadly while his eyes travelled all over Mark’s dark circles and overly pale skin. 

Every day that would pass after he would refuse to drink Donghyuck’s blood again and again, his body was getting skinnier until his skin stretched over his sharp cheekbones, looking so tense Donghyuck was expecting it to burst into a thousand pieces at any moment. He often wondered what would happen to Mark if he starved himself. He wouldn’t die, but would his mind remain the same? Would he change forms? Turn to dust? Go so mad with thirst that he’d forget about his principles and would unleash the blood-thirsting monster inside him?

He quickly found out he didn’t want to have an answer to these questions.

“We’ve been through this already Mark!” Frustration made his voice louder than he intended it to be, but it had the perk of opening one of Mark’s eyes. 

Donghyuck would love to say that his main concern was Mark’s state and how much he was hurting himself by refusing to drink, that he couldn’t stand the sight of his friend slowly perishing in front of him and that he felt powerless because he couldn’t help him and that he hated himself for it. How he wished for that to be true. But the truth was much more shameful.

Being bitten didn’t feel great. It didn’t feel great _at all_. 

It hurt, from the beginning until the end: his skin ripping apart and fire spreading through his entire body, twisting his mind because of the blinding pain. Yet, he wanted Mark to bite him again. Feeling the life slip out of him was exhilarating, making him feel things he never felt before. It was like being high on a drug he just discovered for the very first time. He didn’t know how to come down, and didn’t _want_ to. 

_The pain felt great._

It made him feel alive, it grounded him in this world and the fact that Mark was the one inflicting it was all the more exciting.

He wanted to feel that again. He wanted to feel alive.

“Bite me.” His order was hot and heavy, waking things inside him. Much more focused now, Mark opened both of his eyes and got up to sit in front of Donghyuck who was breathing heavily, his own heart pounding in his ears. 

“Careful now,” he growled, his eyes getting darker.

“Bite me,” he said again, in a more pleading voice. Mark swiftly grabbed his throat, lifted his chin with his thumb so that he could see Donghyuck’s Adam apple bobbing when he swallowed. His fingers were pressing just enough to hurt but not enough to bruise and Donghyuck whimpered with need. This wasn’t enough, he needed _more_. 

They stared at each other, Donghyuck’s heavy breathing filling the silence in the room while its hot dampness hit Mark’s lips every time he exhaled. Mark linked their foreheads and Donghyuck drowned in his dark eyes, already dizzied by the anticipation of what was to come. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the sharp fangs and the loud pain, abandoning himself completely to Mark’s mercy.

By now, he should have known that Mark would always surprise him. 

Chapped lips crashed against his own, kissing him harshly. Their teeth clashed together a few times and Donghyuck bit Mark’s lip hard enough to make him moan. Mark’s right hand secured itself in a stronger grip around his neck while the other got lost in his hair, pulling it until tears stung Donghyuck’s eyes. In retaliation, Donghyuck slipped a hand between them and groped Mark’s crotch, too hard for it to be enjoyable. Mark winced in pain and moved back just enough time for Donghyuck to catch his breath and push him against the mattress. 

“Fuck,” breathed Mark when Donghyuck grinned knowingly and straddled him, sitting right on his hips and moving slowly enough to drive him crazy. Donghyuck’s hand found their way back to Mark’s neck, and he squeezed slightly, enjoying the sight of his hands fitting perfectly around this fragile neck. This was probably Mark’s most vulnerable spot, and he had it right under his fingertips, wrapped around his hands. Mark seized his wrists with a strong grip but didn’t even try to stop him. He tilted his head backwards without breaking eye contact, not for a single second and forced Donghyuck to put even more pressure on his neck by dragging his arms towards him then rolled his hips lasciviously. He wasn’t trying to stop him, he was asking for more.

“Mark…” Donghyuck’s voice wobbled. “We both know that’s not what you’re craving for right now.” A small whimper of protestation made Mark’s throat move under Donghyuck’s fingers, and he stared at the muscles shifting under his hold in absolute fascination until Mark cut it short, raising back to a sitting position and kissed him again, more fiercely, arms circling around his back to bring him closer to his chest. It felt messy and desperate, as if Mark was trying too hard to replace his thirst with another type of desire, trading hunger for lust. Donghyuck hardly broke the kiss and Mark’s cold lips chased after him, but he recoiled, locking their foreheads instead.

"It's been one week, Mark," he said softly, almost whispering as he cupped Mark’s face with one hand, the other leaning in the touch, cooling his burning skin.

"I know,” he answered miserably. "I'm so sorry." 

Donghyuck knew Mark wasn’t apologizing for biting him, he was apologizing for dragging him into his world without being able to handle the situation properly. Mark was a thousand years old - certainly more but at this point Donghyuck was just too afraid to ask, this whole thing was already weird enough and it seemed fair to keep his blissed ignorance - yet Donghyuck was the one sitting on his laps, controlling the exchange and guiding him to do what was necessary. 

The trust Mark placed in him was touching. He could see how scared he was to lose control and now that he had learnt some of his past, it made much more sense. When they first met, Mark didn’t fear to hurt him because he was special or beautiful or because of some sort of impossible fantasist love at first sight, it was simply because human blood woke up his animal instincts, stirring up his memories of past glory and power.

His fear didn’t go away, on the contrary, it only expended the more Donghyuck’s importance grew wide for him. There was something utterly intimate about connecting with the only person who was aware of all his shameful actions. Mark felt exposed which forced him to confront a vulnerability he was not used to and while it was an uncomfortable experience and made him aware of himself and his own limits, it also helped him to improve the vision he had of himself. The more he stayed with Donghyuck, the more he basked into his presence and the more he confided in him; the more human he became. 

Donghyuck helped him to stop to cast aside the creature within himself. Allowing himself to feel again was the first step towards his own forgiveness. 

“Don’t be afraid.”

Donghyuck’s voice rang with confident undertones and Mark could only admire his courage. He looked into his eyes and saw a darkness in there, a darkness growing wider every second. It seemed to overtake Donghyuck’s entire body who started moving again, rolling his hips slowly, taking his time to feel the friction, to feel the way every inch of his body was brushing against Mark’s, taking his time to drive him crazy. When Mark slipped his hands tentatively under his shirt to slowly caress the warm skin of his back, Donghyuck opened his mouth in a silent moan. No sound came out of his mouth, his brain sent to overdrive with the overwhelming sensation of Mark’s icy hands drawing the curve of his spine with so much attention. He jerked backwards, his arms failing to support his weight as he tried to take support behind him and Mark secured him between his arms, making sure he wouldn’t fall. Donghyuck had closed his eyes, bathing in the sweet ecstasy, the atmosphere seeming to bewitch him as he pulled his head back as much as he could, exposing his golden neck for Mark. 

Mark stared, mouth agape for a few seconds, until Donghyuck voiced his impatience and thrust a bit harder against him to prove his point, sending a thrill through his entire body. The more aroused Donghyuck became, the more his blood flowed in his body, making his neck veins visibly bob following the rhythm set by his heart. Mark found himself unable to look away from this god sent vision of Donghyuck lost in pleasure and anticipation when he’d barely even touched him. The scent of his blood was getting stronger and stronger and Mark felt his teeth cut through his own lip in a vain attempt to hold himself back.

Then he realized he didn’t have to.

He dived into Donghyuck’s neck, smothering it with wet kisses, making Donghyuck’s throat vibrate with his deep groan. A sharp pain on his shoulders told him Donghyuck was holding tightly onto him, and he took advantage of that to carry him to the mattress, so that he could hover over him, with Donghyuck’s head trapped between his arms. For a moment, they stopped moving entirely and looked at each other, Donghyuck’s breath crashing on Mark’s mouth, founding a strange comfort in each other’s gaze, suspending time and space around them. 

Then, ephemeral peace and serenity broke, and they both lashed back into kissing one another, their tongues meeting with force and envy. Donghyuck’s hands roamed over his own body, trying to relieve some tension by stimulating himself and then moved to Mark’s body too wildly for Mark to follow them correctly; he only had two hands, yet they seemed to be everywhere, each touch setting his body on fire. They got lost in his hair and on his back, gripped his arms one second and then caressed them the next, confusing him to no end but in the best way possible. One of Donghyuck’s leg sneaked between his own and pressed on his crotch, sending an electroshock of pleasure in his chest, and he tried to bite himself to prevent his moan from escaping, but he realized a second too late that they were still kissing, and he bit Donghyuck instead, puncturing his lip enough to extract some drops of blood out of him. His mind almost shut down in surprise, but he quickly recovered, and he sucked on it and licked it, trying to get everything that Donghyuck’s body was willing to give to him, and the sounds that escaped them were so loud that they mixed together, and Mark wasn’t able to tell anymore which voice belonged to whom. He lost all control of himself and started rutting on Donghyuck’s thigh while the younger broke the kiss only to hold his face and to kiss him again hungrily a few more times, before he led him to the crook of his neck and held him there determinedly, with his fingers pulling hard at his hair and his arm keeping his back in place.

“Bite me _right now_ , Mark, or I’ll slit my fucking throat open _myself_ ,” Donghyuck’s voice was much lower that it usually was. It was rasped and undeniably horny, and Mark felt like he was dying right there on the spot. Each breath Donghyuck was taking was killing him a little more, sending shivers down his spine, freezing his body for a short moment, only to be fuelled back to life, his sensations increased tenfold and overwhelming him into an ocean of over perception. Every whimper, every small laugh, every brush of the skin wrecked him from the very core of his soul, emotions exploding in a thunderstorm finding origin in his chest. 

Donghyuck had asked him for something.

Who was he to refuse?

His nose found an unexpected haven in the crook of Donghyuck’s neck, and Mark breathed deeply, relishing in the sweet and divine smell emanating from the warm skin. It felt like a field of lilies and sunflowers with a little something more that was uniquely Donghyuck. He basked in the smell, closing his eyes and allowed himself to get lost and let things go, relaxing just enough to feel comfortable without being a threat. 

He grazed Donghyuck’s neck with his teeth, scraping the skin under his sharp fangs and pushing just enough to tease and not to break the skin. Donghyuck’s head fell back and his hand gripped Mark’s hair firmly at the base of his neck, keeping him in a lockhold and desperately trying to find something to hold onto. Donghyuck whined again and then growled in discomfort, frustration getting the better of him as the anticipation was growing more and more painful as seconds went by.

Then, Mark’s teeth finally breached his skin. 

Donghyuck’s whole body tensed up immediately in response to the aggression, and one of his legs flew around Mark’s waist and clamped around it with an unexpected force. It was a bit of a mix between a retaliation for the pain currently freezing his brain in agony, and a simple reflex, the gesture being an outlet to focus onto something else than the dangerous razor flirting with his carotid. Donghyuck himself wouldn’t be able to tell and at this moment it didn’t matter. What mattered was that it brought their hips closer together and this sent a shock of pleasure through his body, his toes curling against the thin sheets. Mark steadied himself with a hand against Donghyuck’s side and with the other one, cupped his face gently, trying to reassure him while he couldn’t see his face. 

The warm nectar flowed down his throat and drove him mad with pleasure, the life slipping back into him being too overwhelmingly ecstatic to describe with simple words. The taste invaded his head and lulled him into a dazed state. His head felt like it was floating in the most delightful way, and he was confused about everywhere while strangely being hyperaware of everything all at once. His senses sharpened and blurred, time slowed and ran away, everything was chaos and order, standing on the edge in a perfect symbiosis. 

Mark’s hips rolled by themselves, imitating the crashing waves of energy flowing through him, soon sending Donghyuck in a shivery mess of pain and pleasure dancing with one another.

He couldn’t tell anymore where they started and ended, both melting within each other and confusing his addicted mind who could only scream for more. He felt himself slowly sack in Mark’s arms, giving in to the blissful pain and welcoming everything Mark would be willing to give him. 

The bite was even more painful than the first time, and blood was gushing out of his neck profusely, his heart beating fast making the blood jump out in this highly sensitive zone. It was incredibly messy. Blood was spreading on the sheets under him and covered half of Mark’s face, making him look much more like the monster he said he was. Donghyuck almost remembered he should feel scared for his life when he felt his eyelids drop heavily and the tip of his hands go numb, but he couldn’t be bothered to. 

Even if this was the way he’d go… what a glorious way to die.

He couldn’t tell where pain ended and where pleasure began, he couldn’t even mutter coherent words, his head dizzy with lust and trust. 

It was dirty, monstrous and incredibly painful, but it was much more enjoyable than the first time. 

Their previous animosity and hurried demeanours were chased away and the atmosphere turned into something slower, as if time stopped and then remembered it had to keep going. Time was lazy, and it was comfortable, sweet and intimate, and they both relaxed entirely, trusting the other fully, giving themselves to one another without any barriers. 

Mark stopped drinking and quickly pressed his hand against the wound to stop the bleeding, making Donghyuck wince as the sharp pain spread from his neck down to his arm. The few tears of bliss that gathered in Donghyuck’s eyes escaped and slipped on his cheeks, clearing his vision, allowing him to see Mark standing above him and looking at him passionately in all his monstrous beauty. Donghyuck knew he shouldn’t be turned on by his blood splattered on someone else’s face, smearing across their cheeks and down their neck, but somehow, he _was_ , and he couldn’t resist the urge to just lean in and kiss these dangerous lips, slipping his tongue inside languidly, tasting his own metallic taste. It was slow, gentle and perfect, like a picture, a painting, a memory frozen in time, until Mark dived back down and closed his mouth again around the wound, sucking avidly and grinding against Donghyuck who couldn’t hold himself together. He buried both of his trembling hands in Mark’s hair and closed his eyes, focusing on his other senses. 

Mark growled lowly from unhidden pleasure and it was such a bare, vulnerable and honest sound that Donghyuck might have come just from that alone.

Fate wouldn’t give him such satisfaction.

“Hyuck, you forgot your book.”

Then, the moment broke in the space of a second.

He couldn’t imagine what went through Jeno’s mind at that particular moment when he opened the door to Donghyuck’s room and witnessed the horrendous sight displayed in front of him: Donghyuck bathing in his own blood, life gushing out of his neck and pinned under _something_ that very clearly wasn’t human and tried -probably managed- to murder his best friend, but he would argue that it would be something akin to what he felt when he stumbled onto Renjun during that faithful day.

Donghyuck froze when he saw Jeno’s shocked expression and gathered all his remaining forces to pull onto Mark’s hair, whimpering weakly because of how much the simple task drained him. 

A whimper. That’s all it took.

That’s all it took for Jeno to yell loudly and charge at Mark, sweeping both of them off the bed and falling heavily on the ground in what looked like a messy limbs mix. 

Donghyuck instinctively put covered his wound with one hand to stop the blood from flowing - or, so he tried to convince himself, but deep down he knew that it was because he was embarrassed that Jeno had stepped in such an intimate moment that was only supposed to be theirs, and he didn’t want him to see Mark’s bite; it was his. He didn’t have enough strength to get up, nor to yell at them to stop, but he managed to rise on his forearm nonetheless and dragged his body to the edge of the bed to look down at Jeno. His friend was yelling like a wild beast unleashed after days of starvation, pure furry burning in his unveiled eyes while he kept punching and punching at Mark who only let himself be punched without even trying to protect his own face as if he was gladly accepting some sort of punishment, and it was a sight Donghyuck couldn’t fathom. He begged Jeno to stop, but he didn’t seem like he could hear any of his supplications. His sweet and wonderful Jeno, the kindest soul he ever got the pleasure to meet was now trying to crush someone else’s skull with his geopolitics book. Every hit shattered his heart a bit more. He had never seen Jeno losing control to this extent and it pained him to know it was because of him. Guilt clenched his throat harder than Mark’s fangs had, when he realized what he put Jeno through. Finding Renjun in that room had been the worst experience of his whole life, he couldn’t imagine what it must be like to live that all over again. 

“Stop…” He whispered when he managed to reach out to Jeno and to grab the hem of his short sleeve. He shook his head responding to Jeno’s incredulous look and added a quick “Please,” when Mark stood up and immediately moved quickly around the room. Jeno was still breathing heavily and looked like he was about to go for another round when he growled with anger.

“Donghyuck, that thing was-”

“Trust me.” 

Donghyuck hoped he managed to convey enough determination through his eyes, because he could feel himself drift away, black spots dancing in his vision, the lack of blood suddenly rising in his list of immediate preoccupations. The world had already started to spin when he felt Mark settle behind him, securing his back against his own chest, holding him close with one arm embracing his waist careful, his thumb softly stroking the skin of his hip bone under the hem of his shirt - although that might have just been his desperate imagination. Mark ripped some bandages out of their packages and his gestures felt much more frantic than usual and so did his trembling voice ushering words of comfort in Donghyuck’s ears, the overconfidence far gone. He stopped the bleeding and carefully applied a bandage after he sanitized the wound, making sure it wouldn’t get infected, then held Donghyuck close against his chest, embracing him into both of his arms and rocking him softly, murmuring sweet sorrys in his ears while he nuzzled his hair without ever getting close to his neck again. Donghyuck gave up completely to the pleasant sensation of being taken care of and watched Jeno’s worried and incredulous face while he drifted off to unconsciousness, his body forcing him to rest. The last words he heard rang in his head for what felt like a thousand times before darkness welcomed him.

“Lee Donghyuck, you’ll have some serious explaining to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a lot to [jaemarked](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaemarked) for beta reading this ;-; thank you nana!! 
> 
> Feel free to bark there:  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/apolpote?s=09)  
> [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.qa/apolpote)


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